The Athletic draft expert has some not so great updates for Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart. The duo was present at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile but they couldn’t win hearts with their plays. The Alabama QB’s draft stocks fell with his apparent struggles during practice. Meanwhile, the Ole Miss QB is enjoying a rise in his stardom after falling back in the postseason. Many view him as a potential QB3 off the board. But not Brugler. 

In his sit-down with Nate Tice on Yahoo! Sports on February 1, Dane Brugler didn’t mince words. “Jaylen Milroe and Jaxson Dart, two guys that I think we’re the buzziest names, the guys that could really help themselves and cement their status as top 50 guys,” he said. But here’s the bitter pill to swallow — “I don’t think either guy did that.” And he didn’t hide his disappointment: “No one really, I thought, grabbed the opportunity and really ran with it which is a little disappointing when you have two guys at the top like Dart and Milroe who, there’s plenty of optimism out there for them, but I don’t think either one played like quarterbacks that had a chance to cement themselves as top 50 guys.” 

Both Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart had the opportunity to boost their draft stocks, headlining the American team’s prospects. But their early inconsistencies stuck with them. Neither succeeded when called upon to throw the pigskin. The Rebels QB struggled with decision-making and accuracy, with the latter being the weakness of the Tide QB too. Accuracy has become Milroe’s point of pain—he reportedly missed eight passes in a row in one-on-one drills. 

As the practice weekend comes to a wrap, Jalen Milroe is the loser of the Senior Bowl, per Sporting News. “Milroe had some jitters with his football-handling and accuracy when throwing downfield. He had nowhere to go but down given his lofty early ranking.” Where can this projected top 3 QB run to?

The winner is Jaxson Dart. While he started slow, he picked up momentum — “Dart has jumped into the first-round conversation with his excellent week of strong, accurate downfield throwing and his good finishing touch drives in the red zone.” Lane Kiffin has been laying out the reasons why NFL teams would be lucky to have him. Still, they seem to pale in comparison to what the rising Louisville QB is bringing to the table. 

Tyler Shough leaves Jalen Milroe and Jaxson Dart in the back seat

“To me, the best quarterback I saw throughout the week was Tyler Shough from Louisville,” Dane Brugler said. “I think he’s absolutely a dark horse candidate to be one of the first three quarterbacks drafted, four quarterbacks drafted.” Tyler Shough began his collegiate career in 2018 at Oregon for three seasons. He then transferred to Texas Tech for three seasons before finishing his final CFB year with Louisville for an overall collegiate production of 7,820 yards in 42 games played. This past season, he led Louisville to a 9-4 and became the 13th QB in Cardinals history to throw from 3,000+ yards in a single season (3,195 yards) and 23 touchdowns. This improvement only followed him to the Senior Bowl. 

Tyler Shough is making a sudden rise in the pre-NFL draft process. And Brugler isn’t the only one noticing it. Even Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy voted the Cardinals signal caller as the top QB for the National team. ESPN’s Matt Miller wrote, “Shough was making throws with zip, timing and touch throughout the National team’s morning practice. He can spin the ball to every level of the field and shows mobility that teams will love.” 

But Brugler’s “biggest gripe against him”?—“He’s 25 years old. He’s a seventh year senior. Not ideal.” But if Shough keeps delivering, that might not matter when it’s time to benefit from the draft.