Oregon Football: Former Ducks QB projected as No. 1 pick in 2022 NFL Draft

When I sat down to do some research about where Kayvon Thibodeaux may be projected by the top NFL draft projection websites, I never thought I’d stumble upon something like this.

Walter Football, which is usually a trusted and respected draft projection site, had its 2022 NFL Mock Draft already up and ready to go but the name at the top wasn’t the (former) Oregon player I was expecting to see.

I expected to see Thibodeaux atop the draft class as the No. 1 defensive lineman and there has been a recent history of edge rushers going in that top spot. It wouldn’t have surprised me to see Kayvon sitting there at No. 1 because, well, I think he probably will be the first overall pick.

But who I did see was former Oregon quarterback Tyler Shough topping the list.

Yes, the Shough that didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations in his one year of starting at Oregon ahead of Anthony Brown. The same one that transferred to Texas Tech to finish out his college career this offseason.

Sure, Shough is naturally talented and has the tools to be an NFL quarterback, but is he really a better quarterback than Sam Howell, Kedon Slovis, Matt Corral, or even JT Daniels? Probably not.

Will Shough make Oregon football regret losing him?

Honestly, no.

This was one of the more egregious projected No. 1 overall picks that I can remember, especially since the site dubbed Shough a “fierce competitor” and if my memory serves me correctly, he left Oregon because he lost his job in the Fiesta Bowl debacle to Anthony Brown.

This isn’t me saying Shough won’t have success at Texas Tech because I truly believe he will. He can succeed in the Big 12, especially since it’s not known for defense.

And Texas Tech has had plenty of prolific passers over the years.

But Oregon right now is in better shape at the quarterback position with Brown, Ty Thompson, Jay Butterfield, and Robby Ashford as options than it was with Shough leading the way.

No. 1 overall pick? I’ll have whatever Walter Football is having today.