Tyler Shough, QB

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 225 pounds
Age: 25 years old (September 28th, 1999)

Louisville

Year	Completion %	Yards	TDs	INTs
2024	62.7%	3,195	23	6

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Texas Tech

Year	Completion %	Yards	TDs	INTs
2021	69.6%	872	6	3
2022	59.9%	1,304	7	4
2023	60.4%	746	7	4

Oregon

Year	Completion %	Yards	TDs	INTs
2019	80%	144	3	0
2020	63.5%	1,559	13	6

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Pros

• Physical gifts
  There aren't many quarterbacks who look the part more than Tyler Shough. There's a reason why he was a sought-after recruit for Oregon and had no problems landing at Texas Tech and Louisville despite his weaknesses. He's huge, has a strong arm capable of making every throw he'd be asked to hit, can run, and be a real asset for an offense. There's an NFL starter in his body. And he began using that athleticism in the pocket more effectively in 2024 compared to previous years, dodging pressure and moving his body into a more advantageous launch point better than ever before.
  
  
• Experience under center
  Shough's decision to transition from two spread offenses at Oregon and Texas Tech to Louisville worked. Louisville called play-action on 43% of snaps in 2024, up from his high 30s marks at Oregon. The difference is that these aren't RPOs from shotgun and are more functional in development. Shough's decision-making was sharper with fewer receivers on the field, and his field vision improved with quicker post-snap checks involved. It's not that the offense was simplified, but Shough gained confidence based on how he saw the field and could verify his decision without disrupting the timing of the scheme. It's much easier to have confidence that Shough will be functional early in his career and succeed in the right situation.
  
  
• Improved efficiency
  This relates to the above point, but Shough's average depth of target grew from seven yards at Texas Tech to 8.2 in 2024 while his big-time throw (BTT) rate stayed at a career-high and his interceptable throw rate set a new low. Louisville had a decent supporting cast, but not one good enough to dismiss his 5.1% BTT and 1.8% turnover-worthy throw rate. Those are excellent marks. His pressure-to-sack increase also dropped significantly to a mere 9.6%.

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Cons

• Durability
  Playing in only 42 games over seven seasons, Shough could not stay on the field until 2024. He maxed out in seven games played before this past season. His season-ending injury sheet includes a fractured fibula and multiple collarbone injuries. It's hard to rely on Shough or know if his body can physically handle the tolls of the NFL beyond spot duty as a backup. 
  
  
• Natural accuracy
  As well as Shough played, and while his tools are impressive, the ball doesn't easily get to his target consistently. He doesn't feather the ball effectively but instead throws fastballs more often than not. This leads to poor ball placement, limited yards after the catch, and opening turnover opportunities. His lack of precision may stem from a stiff lower body that he struggles to adjust and tweak while he's surveying the field. His deep accuracy is especially inconsistent, but there's also a reason why Louisville had him throwing short on 60% of attempts. 
  
  
• Play under pressure
  Every QB plays worse under pressure, but Shough is actually horrible when a defender starts approaching. His completion rate drops almost 30%, and his decision-making goes completely haywire. His quality throws are down, as expected, and he puts the ball at risk almost 15 times as often as when he's clean. He goes from a functional player to a major turnover risk who can tank the entire unit because of that free defender. 

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Player Evaluation

Gifted with a strong arm, great frame, some rushing upside, and the velocity needed to be an NFL player, Tyler Shough's biggest limitation is his lack of durability and age. He has an NFL skill set, and his time at Louisville showed a new side of his game: a play-action, under-center option. His experience in different schemes is nice, but the best part of Shough's resume is he can reset his eyes and feet and deliver strikes if he has to play. Quality backups are valuable, and his raw tools are ahead of several peers in this class.

Player Comp: Jarrett Stidham

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A to Z Rankings:

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #11 quarterback

A to Z Draft Grade: 5.50

Draft projection: UDFA