Sleeper picks at quarterback. Every football savant admires them, maybe even tells you they’ve seen the extensive film on them when, in reality, the extent of said film study is limited to a 3-minute mixtape on YouTube. But this admiration is often from afar. No fan wants their team to punt a draft pick on a quarterback flying under the radar. The rationale is simple and quite fair. There’s got to be a reason they’re being slept on. A flaw in their repertoire as a QB, or maybe a dearth of physical tangibles. A lack of arm strength or a small frame. Well, one signal caller in this NFL Draft class who’s flown under the radar has all the tools in his arsenal. Which is why he’s rising out of his slumber and into the forefront. Even receiving an ex-NFL head coach’s co-sign as the 3rd best QB available.

It’s already baked into the discourse and has been discussed at length this draft cycle. But it remains worth reinforcing that the ‘25 quarterback class is relatively weak. It falls pale in comparison to last year when 6 QBs were drafted within the top 12. This one’s closer to 2022, when Kenny Pickett was the first one off the board at #20. That means while the consensus QB1, Cam Ward, has created separation on the top rung, there’s room for maneuver in the lower echelons. It’s not unanimous, but Shedeur Sanders has widely been tipped as the 2nd best option. While Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart often closes out the podium in analysts’ and experts’ eyes. However, Jay Gruden reckons this perceived hierarchy needs a shake-up. No less from a guy who’s “not a big name…nobody even knows how to pronounce his last name. Or spell it!”

That may be a little hyperbolic, but Tyler Shough sure isn’t a household name. You’d have been hard-pressed to know he was coming out of Louisville when he stepped into the limelight in Indy at the Combine. Conceded, there are a multitude of reasons you don’t know about Shough, or didn’t a month ago. But there are also plenty of reasons you need to. Which is all mixed into the concoction, and the result is Jay Gruden, younger brother of fellow NFL coaching vet Jon, coming to the conclusion that Shough is trending towards being one of the biggest steals in this draft. Chopping up Tyler Shough’s prospects and game with ex-pro Colt McCoy over their “Clean Pocket” podcast, Gruden waxed lyrical about the player.

“[Tyler Shough’s] tall, throws a very good deep b-ll, he’s a great competitor, he’s accurate [and] he loves football…This guy, I think, will go 3rd [amongst QBs], right behind Shedeur. I really believe it.” claimed Jay Gruden.

While the latter half is obviously subjective, the initial prognosis is very much the objective truth. Even the intangibles about him being a competitor who loves the game. The proof is in the pudding. For starters, Tyler Shough is 6”5. That already goes a long way in the NFL hivemind. His tape attests to his deep passing being both beautiful and effective. As for the intangibles, learning the adversity Shough’s been through goes a long way in backing Gruden’s chat. Adversity that’s the reason why this guy isn’t a popular name.

A 4-star prospect out of high school, Tyler Shough’s collegiate career saw him traverse 3 programs (!) across 7 years (!!). At the outset, he thwarted offers from plenty of bluebloods to enroll at Oregon. After redshirting in 2018, Shough was backup to now-Chargers QB Justin Herbert the following year. They say patience pays off. Well, his time to shine did come after paying his dues, but it coincided with COVID-19. That would be the first in a series of issues Shough had to contend with in that phase of his life and career. He lost his spot at Oregon and transferred to Texas Tech. From here on, Shough had recurring injuries to different parts of his body. In 3 years at Tech, he broke his collarbone, hurt his left shoulder, and then had to be carted off the field with a broken fibula. He’d once again wind up in the portal. 

After arriving in Louisville, Shough caught the attention of alumnus Jay Gruden. Who elaborated further on what makes Shough someone who can rub shoulders with Shedeur Sanders.

Tyler Shough beats out Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart in a couple of attributes

After 6 years of setbacks, most players would’ve caved in. Hung up the cleats, pursued something academically, and gone about life. However, Tyler Shough, as aforementioned, is a competitor married to the game. His decision to hit the portal and come to Louisville paid dividends. Shough cracked double-digit games for the first time, starting 12 games. He threw for 3,195 yards, taking his total tally to 7,820 and, more importantly, proving he’s got it after all. Both to himself and the football world. But what good’s a success story if the protagonist can’t star in the sequel? Does Tyler Shough have what it takes to make the transition to the NFL?

“Everything’s about Shedeur Sanders, or everything’s about Cam Ward and all these other guys. This guy comes in. 6”5, gunslinger. Ripping it down the field…He exceeded the throwing expectations [in the passing drill] at the Combine.” remarked Gruden. He also mentioned How Shough’s a “good athlete” and pointed to him making a “45-50-yard run against Notre Dame” last season. While it’s true he’s athletic, Shough’s not someone we can expect to rush for first downs and move the sticks with his scrambling all that often. Which is one of the knocks against him. But Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart aren’t massive rushing threats either. Shedeur certainly isn’t. He also hasn’t got the same cannon for an arm Shough does. Interestingly, Jay’s brother, Jon Gruden, endorsed Dart and is a huge proponent of his game.

Is Tyler Shough the perfect draft prospect? Far from it. He’s got a worrying injury history that’s got to be accounted for. He’s 25 years old, which implies his ceiling is probably lower than that of his contemporaries such as Sanders and Dart. His height does make his mobility both in and out of the backfield a little hit-and-miss. That said, there’s a lot to work with. He really is a gunslinger who’s a force multiplier for the entire offense. Plus, he’s still doing this at a high clip after what he endured has got to count for something. It’ll be interesting to see where Shough ultimately lands in the QB hierarchy. But chancing a Day 2 or early Day 3 pick on him does seem like an enticing proposition for front offices.