Tyler Shough NFL Draft 2025 Scouting Report for New Orleans Saints QB

The New Orleans Saints selected Louisville QB Tyler Shough with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Tyler Shough is an intriguing QB prospect with the physical tools and pocket passing ability worthy of buying into. 

Shough throws well from the pocket with velocity, accuracy, and ball placement. He has a good arm and rips throws in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Shough pushes the ball down the field with a flick of the wrist. When his mechanics are aligned, he delivers passes with good pacing and velocity to beat closing defenders. 

If flushed out of the pocket, Shough is an above-average athlete who can create second-reaction throws on the move. He works well rolling to his left, getting his shoulders square and feet underneath him to line up and rip throws with diverse arm angles/slots. Mentally, he flashes the ability to handle full-field reads and work through his progressions out of a clean pocket. Shough has deceptive eyes, pulling defenders out of the frame before ripping the throw. 

Tyler Shough Highlights

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However, he does need to become more consistent. Shough’s lower-body mechanics are undisciplined. He has too much trust in his arm strength and does not bring his feet into the throw. That leads to inaccurate and off-target throws. He needs to improve his weight distribution in the pocket when throwing down the field. 

Mentally, I’d like to see more detailed reading of defensive coverages concerning the passing concepts from Shough. He tends to read the low read first in Hi-Lo concepts, leading to turnover-worthy plays because he’s late. Shough’s injury history kept him off the field for much of his college career. He is missing valuable playing experience. 

Overall, Shough possesses the physical tools and upside as a pocket passer to work with and develop. He projects as a primary backup behind an established veteran with starting upside. The talent and potential are there, but he needs more consistency.

MEASUREMENT AND WORKOUT RESULTS

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 219

HAND: 9¾"

ARM: 30¾"

WINGSPAN: 76½"

40-YARD DASH: 4.63"

VERTICAL: 32"

BROAD: 9'9"

POSITIVES

— Can handle full-field reads and progressions.

— Plus-level arm talent/strength. Can rip throws from multiple bases.

— Above-average athlete. Creates plays with his legs off-schedule.

— Flashes of three-level accuracy and ball placement; developmental upside.

NEGATIVES

— Trusts his arm too often and lacks consistency in bringing his feet into throws.

— Improper weight distribution on downfield targets leads to throws losing steam/dying.

— Limited throwing experience with live reps due to consecutive years of suffering injuries.

— Needs to be consistent with mental processing and decision-making to protect the football.

NOTES

— Born September 28, 1999

— 4-star recruit in 2018 class, per 247Sports

— 2024 Honorable-Mention All-ACC

— Extensive injury history: Broken collarbone (2021), Missed six games due to shoulder injury (2022), Missed rest of the 2023 season due to a broken leg.

GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 113

POSITION RANK: QB7

PRO COMPARISON: A mobile Nick Foles

Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson