If there’s one thing with more mystique than a quarterback in the NFL draft, it’s a quarterback flying under the radar. A sleeper pick. Every football fan will tell you they’ve seen an extensive film about them. Are privy to every intricate detail of this player that’s underground, still hidden from the mainstream. In reality, the extent of said film study is limited to a 4-minute highlight reel on YouTube. Everybody loves a sleeper QB, but this admiration is often from afar. No one really wants their favorite team to punt a draft pick on them. After all, there’s gotta be a reason they’re being slept on, right? A flaw in their repertoire, or maybe a dearth of physical tangibles. A lack of arm strength, perhaps, or a small frame. Well, one quarterback has remained low-key despite possessing every tool in his arsenal.

It has been reinforced multiple times and is well and truly baked into the draft discourse. But in case you weren’t aware, this ’25 quarterback class is relatively weak. Maybe not quantitatively, since there are a lot of intriguing names. But certainly qualitatively. Hardly any of them are viewed as franchise cornerstones or even long-term starters. If QB classes were a spectrum, the class of ‘25 is closer to 2022 than 2024- albeit not as bad as that one was. For context, Kenny Pickett was the first one off the board at 20th overall. In this iteration, Cam Ward has gained consensus 1st overall pick status pre-draft. While there is no consensus around him, Shedeur Sanders has largely been hailed as QB2. However, one NFL GM thinks this sleeper QB is a better “pure passer” than both those guys. Strap in, because the hypetrain is about to catch speed.

Tyler Shough, by no means, is a household name. Unless you’re a Louisville fan or a football degenerate, you probably didn’t know of him at the outset of this draft process. But Shough announced himself to the world at the Combine down in Indy. Ever since, he’s been gaining more and more traction. The odd shoutout here, or rumor there. There are reasons why he’s been flying under the radar all through his collegiate career until now, and we’ll get to them. But he’s making just enough noise for the important people, the decision makers, to take note. Slowly but surely, Tyler Shough is rising out of his proverbial slumber and into the forefront. 

ESPN Draft analyst Peter Schrager guested on “The Pat McAfee Show” and had a revelation about Tyler Shough. He relayed something an NFL GM, veiled behind anonymity, told him about the signal caller. Although Schrager chose to leave the executive unnamed, the words were still very resounding. “I spoke to a GM who I really trust and is really good…he’s like, ‘Well, if you’re looking for the best pure thrower of the football, it’s Tyler Shough’” remarked Schrager. This isn’t even a hyperbolic claim if you’re aware of Shough’s game. But despite this acclaim, he’s still trending towards being a Day 3 pick. Maybe Day 2 if the stars align in his favor. Which they appear to be doing. Whoever this anonymous GM was, their opinions resonate with the Giants’ brass. A big revelation has just spawned out of New York.

Senior NFL insider Albert Breer has reported a development around Tyler Shough and the Giants. For the longest time, the franchise appeared to be gearing towards drafting a QB with the 3rd overall pick. The aforementioned Shedeur Sanders was the primary target, considering he’d be the best one available when they’re on the clock. However, their moves in free agency have afforded them more runway. Onboarding Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston means the Giants can forego drafting a quarterback in round 1. Go down the Tyler Shough route instead, a low-risk, low-draft capital but high-upside pick. Breer reports the Giants are holding a private workout with the player later this week. He’d be in the facility alongside Shedeur Sanders and their fellow contemporary Jalen Milroe.

Why is Tyler Shough rubbing shoulders with Deion Sanders’ son and an Alabama QB? He belongs in that echelon. 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 passing game being both beautiful and effective. A 4-star prospect out of high school, he has shared a QB room with Justin Herbert in college. But the timeline of events between that redshirt freshman year at Oregon and now is far from linear. You see, the overlooked name Tyler Shough is actually synonymous with adversity. Adversity, he’s risen above to get this far. 

Tyler Shough’s CFB career was a tryst with fate and hardship

Tyler Shough’s College Football career saw him traverse 3 programs (!) across 7 years (!!). Coming out of high school, he thwarted offers from plenty of bluebloods to enroll at Oregon. After redshirting in 2018, Shough was the backup to 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. 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. 

His decision to hit the portal and come to Louisville paid dividends. Shough cracked double-digit games for the first time in 2024, 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. After 6 years of setbacks, most players would’ve caved in. Hung up the cleats, pursued something academically, and went about life. But Tyler Shough is married to the game, and this has permeated to the NFL.

What’s the good of a success story if the protagonist can’t star in the sequel? Has Tyler Shough got what it takes to make the transition to the NFL? 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 the likes of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. His height and frame do 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’s a gunslinger who’s a force multiplier for the entire offense. Can accentuate those around him. Plus, the fact that he’s still doing this after what he endured has got to count for something. If indeed Shough winds up with the Giants, learning the ropes behind 2 veterans is a really fascinating proposition. Certainly one he’d be all over.