Mina Kimes ranks Tyler Shough over Jaxson Dart is blunt analysis of Louisville QB before draft - "It's not about longevity"
Mina Kimes explained why she thinks Tyler Shough will be a better pick for some teams than Jaxson Dart in the 2025 NFL Draft, even though Dart is more highly rated on most boards.
The ESPN analyst said that the reason the Ole Miss prospect is ranked ahead of his Louisville counterpart comes down to age and that Slough being younger has more time frame to develop and possibly reach a higher ceiling. Teams are willing to spend time training the player because quarterbacks generally play at a high level until an advanced age, she claimed:
"When we talk about quarterback age and why it matters so much to teams and the evaluation process. You know, because we look at a quarterback and they play forever, right? Some of them play until forties. You think what's the big deal, they are 26 or 23. It's not about longevity, it's about development and evaluation and where they are in that process."
However, she then said purely from a matter of where each player is, Tyler Shough looks more ready on tape than Jaxson Dart, which isn't a surprise to Mina Kimes because he has more playing experience. She added:
"Tyler Shough is a finished product in some ways, probably, because of his age. Like, to me, he looks more polished on tape than Jaxson Dart. He should look more polished than Jaxson Dart. He is, like, four years, at least, older than him. And it does matter to NFL teams because you are not only taking a quarterback for who he is but for where you think his ceiling is and whether or not he has further to go."
Given the situation in the 2025 NFL Draft where many teams are looking not at developmental prospects but at ready-to-play quarterbacks, Mina Kimes believes that tilts the ranking in the Louisville player's favor. She concluded:
"His experience and the fact that he is fairly pro-ready will be a point in his favor in this particular draft because there are a number of teams that are looking for quarterbacks who can play quickly, who aren't looking for developmental projects and I do think you can classify Tyler Shough that."
Tyler Shough's stock might rise over Jaxson Dart following Bo Nix's example in 2024 NFL Draft
Mina Kimes might not be wrong in her analysis and the 2024 season gives us some proof of what might be sound rationale. Bo Nix was the oldest among the quarterbacks taken in the first round last year and became an immediate starter for the Broncos and led them to the playoffs. He showed the value of a ready-to-go signal-caller, and that might influence general managers this season too.