Field Yates picks Tyler Shough as Matthew Stafford’s potential successor in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Rams are bringing quarterback Matthew Stafford back, but that should not preclude them from selecting someone like Louisville's Tyler Shough as his successor. On Friday, ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates suggested that the Rams could be a potential sleeper team in the quarterback market at the upcoming NFL draft and linked them with drafting Shough on Day 2.

He sees similarities between Shough and Stafford.

“Louisville's Tyler Shough has similar traits to Stafford; he can throw from a variety of different angles and hit tight windows,” Yates wrote on ESPN.

Yates added that the offseason with Stafford should at least make the Rams consider a quarterback in rounds 2 or 3. Stafford and the Rams went through a few weeks of uncertainty and allowed their starting quarterback and his agent to talk to other teams to assess his market. Ultimately, Stafford elected to come back and worked with the Rams on a contract restructure.

"Stafford's relationship with the organization is year-to-year at this point after his contract restructure, and it would be logical for Los Angeles to at least consider a quarterback somewhere on Day 2. “

The offseason drama with Stafford could cause the Rams to consider their long-term future at the quarterback position. However, Yates also mentioned Stafford's elite-level production. The Los Angeles Rams were the closest team to beating eventual Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles on their playoff run last season.

Yates also mentioned that the Rams do not have a 2nd round pick. They traded it to the Carolina Panthers to move up and select defensive tackle Braden Fiske in last year's draft, a move they probably do not regret after Fiske made the All-Rookie Team in an impressive debut season.

The Rams have the 26th overall pick in the first round and pick 90 in Round 3.

Tyler Shough is the 4th ranked quarterback on most draft boards

Tyler Shough is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the NFL draft after spending seven years in college. Shough will be 26 when the 2025 season begins.

He went from Oregon to Texas Tech before finally getting his chance and impressing at Louisville. He threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns, leading Louisville to an 8-4 record.

Draft boards have Shough between the 49th to 180th best player in this year's class. Shough is usually ranked fourth in his position, behind Miami's Cam Ward, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart. However, quarterbacks have historically been drafted higher than their draft projections. There is a marginal chance that Shough will be there for the Rams to take at pick 90 in Round 3.