NFL Draft Profile: QB Tyler Shough, Louisville

There is a lot to like about Shough, but can the Browns afford to select a soon-to-be 26-year-old QB?

The 2025 NFL Draft is just a bit more than a month away, and at this point, it is simply silly to believe the Cleveland Browns will not be selecting a quarterback at some point.

There is still an ongoing debate, however, over just when general manager Andrew Berry will make the call. It could be with the No. 2 overall selection, it could come later in the first round after a trade, or Berry could live dangerously and wait until the second round to make a move.

Related: NFL Draft Profile: RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

With that knowledge widely known, just about every draft-eligible quarterback has been or will be linked to the Browns. This week was no exception after the news came out that Cleveland was hosting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough for one of their 30 pre-draft visits.

Would Berry be so bold as to draft a quarterback who was in college so long that he backed up current Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who just finished his fifth season in the NFL, for two years at Oregon?

Be that as it may, Shough is a quarterback and he is in the upcoming draft, so let’s see what he brings to the field.

Name: Tyler Shough

Position: Quarterback

Height/Weight: 6-foot-5, 219 pounds

College: Louisville Cardinals

2024 Stats: 12 games, 62.7 completion percentage, 3,195 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 148.1 quarterback rating

Career Stats: 42 games, 63 completion percentage, 7,820 passing yards, 59 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, 147.7 quarterback rating

Relative Athletic Score: 9.3 out of 10. Ranks 70th out of 989 quarterbacks from 1987 to 2025.

Average “Big Board” Position As of Publishing Date from Mock Draft Database: 96th overall, projected third round

The Draft Network’s Grade/Round Value: Day 2 – Adequate Starter

What an Expert is Saying

Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

Pocket passer with a seven-year college career prompted by three consecutive years of injuries while at Texas Tech. Shough will turn 26 in September, was in the same recruiting class as Trevor Lawrence and backed up Justin Herbert at Oregon. He’s a talented passer with a live arm who is capable of making pro throws both intermediate and deep but battles inconsistency. He plays with good field vision, using his eyes to hold defenders and set up his throwing windows. Shough is confident and accurate when protected, but will flinch when pressure mounts, leading to spotty decision-making and big sacks. His size and passing talent will be enticing, but durability and mobility concerns are impediments he will need to overcome.

What an Expert is Saying (Bonus Round):

Ryan Fowler at The Draft Network:

With experience in three different offensive architectures, Shough is a primary pocket passer who has seen it all at the college level. He has experience working primarily out of shotgun but also does a nice job feeding different levels when asked to work under center either in straight dropback scenarios or in play-action. Smooth mechanics with a quick delivery and good zip to all levels. Shough does have more juice stored in his frame should he begin to drive through his lower half and work consistently downhill with his throws. He has nice touch up the seam and has shown the ability to make throws under duress. Quick to ID and target one-on-one opportunities with a deep ball that will play at the next level—the ball has nice carry with multiple instances of Shough placing in a spot only his guy can get it. Standing tall with a solid base allows him to consistently make throws in small windows.

Away from concerns about his age, where Shough’s player development phase is completed, he has traits that many teams look for in a potential contributor at the NFL level, should the surroundings correlate to what he does best.

Fit with the Browns

There is a lot to like about Shough, from his size to his experience and his ability to make a decision and give his receivers a chance to make a catch. But can the Browns really take a chance on a quarterback who will turn 26 a few weeks into the 2025 season?

Browns Player Drafting Could Impact

The only quarterback currently on Cleveland’s roster is Kenny Pickett, so there is plenty of room for the team to add another quarterback (or two) in the draft without upsetting the roster.

Priority: High. As in “turn it up to 11” levels of need at the position.

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