NFL head coach has shocking pick for 'best quarterback' in 2025 draft class

Opinions among analysts and reporters seem to vary regarding who is the second-best quarterback of the 2025 NFL Draft class between Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart. 

Miami's Cam Ward, meanwhile, is widely seen as the top prospect at the position who deserves to go to the Tennessee Titans via the first overall pick of the player-selection process. 

However, it appears one current NFL head coach has a different quarterback atop his draft board. 

"I had a head coach in the NFL, a current one, tell me that (Louisville's) Tyler Shough is the best quarterback in this class," league insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic said on the latest episode of her "Scoop City" podcast, as shared by Stephen Douglas of Sports Illustrated. 

Russini added that the coach allegedly thinks Shough is "better than Cam Ward." 

That coach is on an island as of the halfway point of April. In his top 600 prospects piece published on Monday, ESPN's Matt Miller had Shough ranked as the draft's fourth-best quarterback and at No. 73 overall. On Tuesday, The Athletic also ranked Shough as the draft's QB4 (76th out of 100 players). 

Back on April 9, ESPN's Ben Solak suggested that Shough could fall to at least the 52nd overall pick of the draft. On Tuesday, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates predicted that the New York Giants will select Shough with the second choice (No. 34 overall) of the draft's second round. 

"Tyler Shough is a player in this draft...his stock is rising," Russini added during the show segment. "He is a name that I am hearing in league circles way more now than I was just three weeks ago in terms of a QB on the board that could be taken in the first round."

Russini's update about Shough's supposed draft stock isn't all that big a surprise, as some have called him "the most talented thrower" outside of Ward and "most ready to start immediately" quarterback in this class. The second part of such assessments is understandable considering he turns 26 years old this coming September. 

As of early Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Shough as a +600 betting underdog to be drafted in the first round on April 24. If the coach Russini spoke with is correct, Shough could prove to be an absolute steal for the team that takes a flier on his services.