"Most polished and pro ready QB" - Louis Riddick makes bold prediction on Tyler Shough's NFL potential after impressing at combine

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick praised Tyler Shough on Saturday after viewing his entire workout at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis during the NFL Combine.

"Tyler Shough the most polished and pro ready QB that took part in the actual workout tonight at the #NFLCombine and went through the entire workout. Athleticism, feet, drops, arm strength, touch, accuracy, decision making. It's all there," Riddick tweeted.

The analyst already tagged the Louisville quarterback as "the surprise and steal of the draft" in February.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback recorded a 4.63-second 40-yard dash (second-best among quarterbacks), a 32-inch vertical jump and a 117-inch broad jump. His throwing workouts also wowed onlookers as he consistently threw accurate deep passes.

Shough's growth follows a productive senior college campaign at Louisville. He completed 63.2% of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. For his efforts, he received an All-ACC honorable mention.

Tyler Shough's prospects increase

NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn

Some scouts have expressed concerns regarding Tyler Shough's age and injury background.

Even with his successful 2024 season, concerns remain regarding Shough's durability. Over three years at Texas Tech (2021-23), he experienced three major injuries: two broken collarbones and a fractured fibula. These injuries limited Shough to just 15 games with the Red Raiders.

Shough spoke about these issues at the combine:

"I only had two broken bones, I've never had any knee or back issues," he said. "I think the timeline just sucked more than anything, just kind of early on in those games and missing time."

His age has also been a focal point. Having spent seven years in college (three at Oregon, three at Texas Tech and one at Louisville), Shough is older than the usual draft candidates. At 25, he's only a year and a half younger than his former Oregon teammate Justin Herbert, who's already played five NFL seasons.

Instead of seeing his age as a weakness, Shough sees it as a strength:

"I don't think the NFL considers it a negative," he said. "I think I consider it a positive. I think quarterbacks play better into their 30's."

When addressing his place in this quarterback class that includes Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, he said:

"I'm the best quarterback in the class."

The Athletic listed him as the No. 59 prospect overall. Tyler Shough's combine effort has potentially cemented himself as a quarterback whose draft value could vastly exceed initial projections.