Greg Cosell breaks down Tyler Shough’s tape on The Ross Tucker Football Podcast and weighs in on whether the Louisville QB is the REAL QB2 in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
While Cam Ward is the consensus QB1 in the upcoming NFL Draft, Cosell told Tucker that the next-best college tape he’s seen belongs to Tyler Shough and he would not be surprised if people start talking about Shough moving up on the board. While some scouts question his age at 24, Cosell said multiple former GMs told him it’s not an issue. If Shough plays 10 years, he’ll be 34, and in today’s NFL, quarterbacks are thriving well into their mid-30s.
Cosell noted that while Shough’s injury history is a bigger concern, he checks all the boxes physically. At 6-foot-5, 224 pounds, Shough looks the part. Cosell also praised his clean mechanics and attention to details, like staying on the mid-line. Cosell acknowledges that so many college quarterbacks drift in the pocket or create their own pressure. Cosell thinks that given all his college experience, Shough should be considered a higher-level prospect. Despite being labeled a pure pocket passer, Shough played seven years of college football and, according to Cosell, has enough mobility to pick up first downs, escape pressure, and make throws on the move.
Tyler Shough has an impressive highlight reel making throws while moving to the left of all things (there are other throws, I'm only showing one) pic.twitter.com/wshblDvwyq
— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) March 24, 2025
Cosell isn’t sure where Shough will land in the draft, but he was impressed by his tape. Tucker agreed, noting he only recently started hearing Shough’s name, likely because most of the buzz has centered on Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe, leaving Shough under the radar. Tucker made the point that the same traits that Cosell is praising Shough for were the ones New England quarterback Drake Maye had coming out of North Carolina last year. Cosell also noted that when a quarterback is 6-foot-5, that’s a big man and that there’s a difference between a quarterback who is 6-foot-5 versus 6-foot-1. Cosell noted that for years, NFL evaluators only took quarterbacks seriously if they were at least 6-foot-3. But the game has evolved, with players like Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield proving that success is still possible below that traditional height threshold. Tucker agreed that size can be a real difference-maker, especially when defenders have to bring big guys to the ground. He mentioned Cam Newton and Ben Roethlisberger as examples, adding, “When you see those guys in person, you look at them like, ‘Holy hell.’”
When Tucker asked if anyone backed his QB2 take, Cosell said several NFL evaluators he’s spoken to have seen Shough throw in person, and they agree with his assessment. He doubled down, saying the tape speaks volumes, and added that injury history, not age, is what GMs are watching most.
Check out Ross’ full conversation with Cosell in the full video or podcast below. And make sure to tune into The Ross Tucker Podcast on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.
VIDEO:
Check out the Ross Tucker YouTube page for more and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the show on X at @rosstuckerpod and Ross at @rosstuckernfl.
