Schefter 'Won't Be Surprised' If Tyler Shough Goes Before Shedeur Sanders in NFL Draft

Jaxson Dart surprisingly usurped Colorado's Shedeur Sanders as the second quarterback off the board in the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night, and a respected NFL insider believes there is a chance Sanders won't even be the third quarterback taken.

Speaking Friday on NFL Live, ESPN's Adam Schefter said he "won't be surprised" if Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough is taken ahead of Sanders on Day 2 of the NFL draft.

Miami's Cam Ward went first overall to the Tennessee Titans, and Dart was the only other quarterback taken during Thursday's first round when the New York Giants traded up from No. 34 to No. 25 to nab the Ole Miss signal-caller.

Several teams who could use a quarterback are set to pick early in the second round, including the Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets, making Sanders a potential target.

If one or more of those teams takes a different quarterback such as Shough or Alabama's Jalen Milroe, though, it could open the door for Sanders to experience an even bigger slide.

Schefter expressed his belief that Sanders may end up on "a team that we never connected to him" unless he lasts all the way to the 83rd pick, with which the Steelers will likely take him.

Shough has seemingly been a player on the rise during the pre-draft process, as he went from a likely Day 3 pick to a possible second-rounder.

He saw game action across seven different collegiate seasons at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville, and it wasn't until his final year that he had the opportunity to start for an entire campaign.

Shough posted an 8-4 record last season and completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.

While Shough has prototypical size and some mobility, he is an older prospect who will turn 26 during the first month of his rookie season, so it is fair to wonder how high his ceiling is.

Sanders is about 2.5 years younger, plus he is coming off a hugely productive final season at Colorado that saw him win the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award.

He completed 74.0 percent of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and Sanders played a sizable role in teammate Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy.

The major knocks on Sanders include his limited mobility and a propensity for holding onto the ball too long, which resulted in him getting sacked with regularity during his two seasons at Colorado.

Still, Sanders has upside as a passer and there is no shortage of teams in need of a young quarterback to develop, so whichever team gets him could end up with a big-time value.