The New York Giants hosted two more prospects on official top 30 NFL draft visits on April 9, with quarterback Tyler Shough and running back Kaleb Johnson at NYG team facilities.
“Louisville QB Tyler Shough is visiting the Giants today after visiting the [Cleveland] Browns in Berea yesterday, per sources,” NorthJersey.com insider Art Stapleton first reported on X.
Later, Stapleton added that “Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson is on a ‘30’ visit with the Giants today, per his [Instagram].”
It might be difficult for Big Blue to land both Shough and Johnson in the upcoming draft. Considering both could very well be second-round picks.
But if Johnson were to slip to round three and the Giants took Shough at No. 34 overall, there’s a world where this could be their starting QB-RB duo of the future.
‘Three-Down’ RB Kaleb Johnson Has Built-In Connection on Giants’ Coaching Staff
Johnson is one of the premier running backs of this loaded 2025 class, ranking in the three-to-five range on most RB lists. If the Giants were to select him, the Iowa star would immediately challenge Tyrone Tracy Jr. for the 1A role in the backfield, and that’s no offense to Tracy.
Per Bobby Skinner and his new “Giants Nation Show,” Johnson also has a built-in connection on this NYG coaching staff. On X, Skinner noted that “Giants RB Coach Ladell Betts coached [Johnson] the last 3 years.”
Coaching links like this are typically great ways for teams to get behind-the-scenes information on prospects.
In honor of The Athletic’s lead draft expert Dane Brugler and his yearly draft guide, “The Beast,” which was released on April 9, let’s see what Brugler has to say about his No. 3 running back behind Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton.
“[Johnson] is at his best when he can quickly read and set up his blocks and anticipate backside/frontside lanes to find yardage that isn’t there (No. 2 in the FBS with 21 carries of 20 yards or more in 2024),” Brugler scouted within “The Beast.”
“He tends to run upright, giving defenders a large target, but has the build and determination to be a bruiser as a forward-leaning, north-south runner,” the draft analyst continued. “Overall, Johnson isn’t a dynamic make-you-miss athlete, but he is a patient and powerful one-cut runner with the instinctive vision to crease the defense using run angles and foot quickness.”
Finally, Brugler compared his play style to former Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray, noting that he has “a three-down skill set to thrive in a zone-based NFL scheme.”
Giants NFL Draft Visit Tyler Shough’s Age & Injury History Make Him a Risky QB Prospect
If the Giants are confident in an opinion that Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe — among others — are not franchise saviors, then perhaps Shough is a good 2025 flier ahead of a stronger 2026 class.
Brugler called his college journey “one of the most unique” in the draft, and he’s not wrong. Shough’s final 2024 campaign at Louisville was “the first time in his seven-year college career that he played in more than eight games.”
And that lack of game experience wasn’t due to talent, it was due to a bizarre streak of injuries.
Unfortunately, a collegiate resume like that works against Shough in two ways. One, teams may fear more injuries, naturally. And two, Shough will turn 26 years old in late September.
So, he’s most likely heading into the back half of his 20s before he ever takes a regular season NFL snap.
You might be asking yourself, why would the Giants waste a second- or third-round pick on Shough considering these red flags? Well, the answer is simple — talent.
In a draft class filled with flawed signal-callers, Shough has risen throughout the draft process because of his enticing skillset.
“With his drive velocity and body fluidity, Shough can make impressive rip-and-zip throws from a variety of arm slots and is a better athlete than expected, which helps him keep plays alive,” Brugler wrote within The Beast. “His ability to expedite his process when the pocket deteriorates is promising, but he needs to improve his eye discipline to stay in sync with receivers when reading full progressions.”
Brugler concluded that “overall, Shough is overaged and needs to cut back on some of the high-risk passing decisions, but he is a gifted thrower with the functional mobility to work off schedule. He has the tools to work his way up a depth chart and make plays once on the field.”
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