BOZICH | 10 questions with Jeff Brohm on Tyler Shough's major buzz before NFL Draft

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The most interesting quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft is not Cam Ward of Miami, although he is likely to be the first overall pick.

It's not Shedeur Sanders, even though he is the son of Deion Sanders and has already had his number retired by the University of Colorado.

My pick as the most interesting quarterback in the NFL Draft is the University of Louisville's Tyler Shough.

Shough started last season ranked the No. 56 QB prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft in Phil Steele's college football yearbook. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, one season playing for coach Jeff Brohm at Louisville has transformed Shough into a player some teams "actually have rated as their top quarterback in this draft."

As in a better bet to succeed than Ward, Sanders, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss or Jalen Milroe of Alabama.

This weekend, as the actual draft unfolds in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Shough might be selected in the first round Thursday night and will certainly be taken no later than Friday night during rounds two and three.

The New York Giants, a team in search of a quarterback, brought their entire front office to Louisville last weekend to visit Shough. He worked out for them. They took him to dinner. They made a solid connection.

The Giants have the third pick in the first round as well as the second pick (No. 34 overall) in the second round.

But before you book Shough for New York City make a note that the Cleveland Brown, another franchise desperately searching for a quarterback, have also heavily invested time in researching Shough. And the Browns pick No. 33, the first spot in the second round.

That, of course, explains why some believe a team will attempt to trade into the back end of the first round to select Shough, who plans to watch the draft from with his family in Phoenix.

Brohm said he has talked to multiple NFL teams about Shough's terrific season with the Cards. Shough completed nearly 63% of his passes for 3,195 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions as U of L finished 8-4 in the regular season, defeating Clemson, Pitt and Kentucky down the stretch.

On Tuesday, I spoke to Brohm about Shough's NFL future, what he's hearing about Shough's draft outlook and why he is convinced Shough will succeed at the next level. Shough could be on track to become the best of the long line of guys Brohm has prepared for the NFL at Western Kentucky, Purdue and U of L.

What follows in lightly edited version of our conversation:

Q: Tyler is creating the most buzz. What's the latest you're hearing on him?

Brohm: "Probably what you guys are. I think things have picked up and heated up, and I think he's in a great position right now. He's right in the mix to be drafted really high for teams that need quarterbacks.

"So I just think it's a matter of how high that's going to be. Is it the first half of the first round or is it the second half of the first round or is it the early second (round)?

"But I see it happening no later than that. I think he continues to move up and can easily see him climb up there, come day one."

Q: Why do you think he's climbing now? People saw him play all season. What's happened over the last few weeks that's help him move up?

Brohm: "Well, I don't think he was a high-profile recruit at this time last year, so, sometimes, it takes a while to register and get on the radar. That probably was a little bit of it.

"And you had the big names: the Cam Wards, the Shedeur Sanders and those type of guys. But he played good football for us last year, and I think that he's a veteran. He's handled adversity, ups and downs.

"He came here and he wanted to prove he could be healthy. That was held against him as well, his health and always getting injured and really losing the starting job, probably at both spots at Oregon and Texas Tech.

"So the fact that he has overcome all that and came here and had a great year and stayed healthy all year is a great accomplishment.

"I think if you look at his talent level and intelligence level and his ability to pick up our system and excel in it, for the most part, I think people are starting to recognize that as you digest it and look more into it and the details and exactly what he's been asked to do.

"He plays in the shotgun. He plays under center. He's good in the run game. He can throw off play action. He can do all those things at the next level that you really have to do, because we're not just a dink and dunk spread college offense.

"He's proven on video playing for us that, hey, these are a lot of things you have to do at the next level that you've actually done. So I think it bodes well for him."

Q: I read a story this morning where Adam Schefter said some people are telling him that Shough could have the best pro career of any of the quarterbacks in this draft.

Brohm: "Well, like I said, I think you know my opinion. I think he can do all those things you have to do at the next level. He did it for us.

"Sometimes, guys playing different types of offenses throw different passes, don't maybe do everything that correlates to the next level. I think he has and because of it, and he kind of excelled in his first year with us.

"I think he's got a high ceiling. Obviously, getting on the right team and getting the (opportunity) to get in there and still being hungry and working hard will be important. But I think he has all those attributes."

Q: Have NFL teams called you to ask about him?

Brohm: "I've had calls, for sure. And he's had numerous teams come in here, work him out. And I've witnessed some of those.

"Just this past Saturday, the Giants had their whole contingent here: owner, GM, head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterback coach, receiver coach and some other coaches.

"They all came in to go to dinner with him Friday night and be around him and then meet with him Saturday morning, work him out after, and I thought he did a really good job.

"So I just think that there's a strong interest now. Where that goes and how high, we'll see. But I know he's confident that it could be day one, it could be early day two."

Q: They worked him out at the U of L complex? Have other teams done that?

Brohm: "I know he's had a ton of visits, when teams can only choose so many. And then I know I watched the Browns and Giants. I think the rule is you can work them out at your facility or at their college facility.

"So he might have some others at their facilities, but all the teams that are drafting quarterbacks, I'm pretty sure, have brought him in and visited with him and probably worked him out. The teams that are possibly drafting quarterbacks, first or second, third round, the latest."

Q: In many ways, he's become the talk of the draft.

Brohm: "Like I said, if you really study it and look at it, a lot of the things he does correlate (to the NFL). And I just think people are starting to realize that and see it.

"Sometimes, when you get to draft days, I'm sure there's all kinds of factors of why you take somebody and all that. But I think as far as body of work, he's done a really good job, and he's in good position.

Q: The things that impressed me this season were he seemed to be a really sharp guy, and two, he rarely made any terrible plays or plays you thought, "Why did he do that?"

Brohm: "No, you're correct. I think that's what he's really good at. He's consistent. He can throw the ball vertically. He can throw the ball accurately.

"He minimized really negative plays and dumb plays that hurt you. So I think that consistency is very valuable and they see it. And he definitely played at a winning level for us this year."

Q: "The one knock that people have on him is his age. He's 25 (and will turn 26 in September). Is that an issue at all?

Brohm: "Well, I mean, I'm not (an NFL organization), so I can't speak for them.

"I don't think it's that big of an issue, just because he's he's been through a lot that maybe instead of going through your first two or three years at that level, he's been able to go through in college, and because of it, make him more pro ready right now, because of that valuable experience.

"Sometimes, you can go through college, everything is all roses, and you're feeling great about yourself, and get to that next level and it's like, 'Oh, man! This is a different, different ball game.' I think he's he's been through that already, and I think that'll make him get more prepared once he gets there."

Q: Let me ask you about one other Louisville quarterback. Why wasn't Jeff Brohm drafted in 1994?

Brohm: "Well you know what? I don't know either. But I will say this: Back then, they liked their quarterbacks to be 6-3 or taller. That has changed over the years. When you're 6-1ish, that was a negative back then."

Q: Yes, but you could run, you were an athlete (a professional baseball player as well as guy who worked his way into the NFL as an undrafted free agent).

Brohm "I don't know beyond that, but, you know what? That didn't matter as much either back then. They wanted guys who could stay in the pocket and throw. Nowadays, it probably fits me a little more as far as what they're looking for, athleticism, but that was definitely a negative back then, the size part."

Louisville Football Coverage:

BOZICH | Can 'Brohm Effect' elevate Miller Moss into next great U of L QB?

BOZICH | Cancel spring game? Brohm explains why Cards' game Friday was 'invaluable'

Copyright 2025 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.