Texas Tech QB Tyler Shough as the tools to be a top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft

Tyler Shough was impressive over his seven games at Oregon last season. Here’s why the new Texas Tech QB could be a top choice in the 2022 NFL Draft. 

Tyler Shough is one of the most interesting prospects that will be preparing to enter the 2022 NFL Draft. Every year, fans from all over the NFL wonder who could be a fast riser in April and become a top draft choice. In 2022, Shough could be that guy.

As a sophomore at Oregon in 2020, Shough was pretty inconsistent at times. He forced the ball into traffic too often in an attempt to make plays and his accuracy and decision-making both could use some work. However, he was also quite impressive.

From a statistical standpoint, Shough did nothing to write home about. He managed just 13 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in 7 games while averaging just 222 passing yards per contest. However, his raw statistics hardly tell the whole story.

Though the numbers are admittedly pedestrian, Shough was often looking to make plays down the field, and his 9.3 yards per attempt last year is quite respectable. Additionally, Shough chipped in 271 yards and 2 scores on the ground in just 7 contests in 2020, according to Sports Reference.

In March, the talented young quarterback elected to transfer to Texas Tech to play for head coach Matt Wells (who was hired when Kliff Kingsbury joined the Arizona Cardinals). In recent years, Texas Tech has done an excellent job producing and developing talented quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes was one of them.

Why Tyler Shough could be a fast riser in the 2022 NFL Draft

While he still needs to have a good junior season this year, many NFL Draft analysts believe that he has the potential to skyrocket to one of the top draft choices in 2022. It’s not hard to see why.

Listed at 6’5” and 221 pounds, Shough has a big frame and an athletic profile that compares favorably to former Oregon star, Justin Herbert. Watching him last season, it wasn’t hard to draw comparisons between the two players. though he’s big and long, Shough has a set of wheels on him and is surprisingly elusive for a player his size. He’s a long-strider in the open field that can chew up yards in a hurray. This is certainly an added bonus in today’s NFL.

While other prospects that many have listed ahead of him prior to the NFL Draft are more polished passers at this point, teams would be betting on Shough’s traits. USC’s Kedon Slovis is a perfect example of this. While Slovis is a more NFL-ready pocket passer with his accuracy and decision-making, his upside doesn’t rival what Shough could eventually offer an NFL team.

You can’t really teach the size and athleticism he has, and if he’s able to refine his game in his junior season at Texas Tech and cut down on his poor decisions, Tyler Shough will have a chance to be a high pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.