This week, one of the most unique and unpredictable events in the world of sports, the NFL Draft, will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As it approaches, players are going to be rumored to be rising and falling in the eyes of scouts and analysts. In fact, to the shock of most Texas Tech football fans, a former Red Raider who was rather unimpressive in his extended time in Lubbock might be seeing his stock climb.
According to many people in the draft industry, former Texas Tech quarterback Tyler Shough, who played his final college season at Louisville in 2024, is drawing considerable NFL Draft interest. Though it seems hard to fathom, some even think there are teams that are weighing the thought of spending a first or second-round pick on him.
Of course, Shough has the benefit of playing the game's most important position. Therefore, he could see a franchise reach to select him because it is desperate for a signal caller.
What's more, this is a poor quarterback class, especially at the top, where there is only one player (Miami's Cam Ward) who is considered a sure-fire NFL starter. Still, Red Raider fans certainly didn't see Shough perform well enough during his three seasons in Lubbock to think he'd ever even sniff the first or second rounds of the Draft.
Don't be shocked to see Tyler Shough go in the top 40. “He’s probably the most pro-ready to go in and run an offense and be able to operate. Some people bring up his age—nope, don’t care. This isn’t baseball, where you’re drafting 18-year-olds. He’s athletic. He’s a good…
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) April 21, 2025
Tyler Shough is one of the most gifted QB's in this year's draft and he's not being talked about ENOUGH.
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) February 18, 2025
Shough is reportedly generating "first round buzz" within some scouting circles, with one scout even comparing him to Matthew Stafford at 6'5", 225.
"He's one of the biggest… pic.twitter.com/IO0sYIXpHc
Tyler Shough (QB) should get drafted in the first round of the #NFLDraft…
— WildCatNFL (@WildCatNFL) February 28, 2025
I don’t care that he’s 25 and has an injury history, he has all the traits of an NFL QB: prototypical size, arm strength, accuracy at all levels, throw on the run ability, pocket presence and processing pic.twitter.com/NY16Mp7YHY
The @giants and @Browns visited Louisville to interview and work Louisville QB Tyler Shough.
— rickbozich (@rickbozich) April 23, 2025
Has Shough played his way into the first round of the #NFLDraft tomorrow night.
I asked @JeffBrohm.https://t.co/NR3DU4dfCv
"Tyler Shough has emerged late, with great arm strength and 6-foot-5 size. "He's my No. 2 quarterback," an AFC executive said. And one NFL general manager went as far as to say he would not be surprised if Shough went on Day 1." - @JFowlerESPN #NFLDrafthttps://t.co/DtPtlO3XSu
— WBG84 (@WBG84) April 23, 2025
Despite the recent hype, Shough is not worthy of a high NFL Draft pick
Though many NFL minds may have convinced themselves that Shough is worthy of a hefty NFL Draft investment, Texas Tech football fans have had a front-row seat for that show. Needless to say, we wouldn't buy a ticket to see it again.
The first problem is that Shough was made out of glass during his time in Lubbock. In each of the three seasons he entered as Tech's starting QB, he suffered a major injury.
In fact, he played no more than seven games in a season for the Red Raiders, and in two of his years with the program, he played only four games. Now, it could be argued that he was just the victim of bad luck, but the reality is that injury-prone players tend to sustain injuries, and no NFL team should overlook Shough's vast injury history at the college level.
Going beyond that, though, when he was on the field at the college level, he wasn't special. Rather, Shough was just a run-of-the-mill player.
First-round picks are supposed to do something that is elite. Patrick Mahomes II displayed an incredible arm at Texas Tech, and that is why he was a first-round pick. Lamar Jackson's athleticism while at Louisville caught the attention of NFL scouts. Peyton Manning's knowledge of the game made him a can't-miss prospect coming out of Tennessee.
What has Shough done so well that it separates him from his QB peers? In 42 games at the college level, he's completed only 63.3% of his passes. Thus, his accuracy is just average.
Meanwhile, he never threw for at least 3,200 yards in a season, showing that he simply was never able to be the focal point of an offense. Similarly, he is a decent athlete, but he's not going to dominate the NFL with his legs. He never ran for over 271 yards in any of his college seasons. And of course, when he did run, it only increased the likelihood that he would sustain a catastrophic injury.
Sure, Shough has a nice arm. However, plenty of failed NFL quarterbacks have been able to say that. Rather, what's between the ears is what makes an NFL quarterback great.
Shough is a slow decision-maker. Even at the college level, he was prone to holding the ball for too long while in the pocket, often missing open players or deciding not to distribute the ball to them in hopes of finding a more perfect option. That led to far too many pressures and sacks.
In the NFL, perhaps the worst thing a quarterback can be is indecisive. That's because the speed of the game at that level requires players to make correct decisions in just a few seconds. Thus, it is hard to imagine a slow-thinking QB at the college level being able to thrive on Sundays.
Ultimately, Tyler Shough will have his opportunity to prove Texas Tech fans wrong. There is no question that he'll be drafted at some point over the next three days. However, until he shows more at the professional level than he did in college, Red Raiders everywhere will scoff at the notion that he could be worthy of a top pick in this year's draft.