Thursday night marked the start of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Cardinals' former quarterback, Tyler Shough, was one of the biggest stories entering the draft. The 25-year-old saw his draft stock skyrocket after the season concluded, and Todd McShay even claimed Shough is the most NFL-ready quarterback and will be the best quarterback from this draft class.
While Shough wasn't drafted in the first round, he was selected in the second round. However, before we discuss the two Cardinals selected in the NFL Draft so far, let's discuss Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball recruiting.
The Cardinals have been in the news recently for the class of 2026, as Louisville is making a strong push for multiple 5-stars. So, here is an update on Louisville basketball recruiting and a brief recap of the NFL Draft.
Louisville basketball recruiting update
Louisville basketball learned earlier that the Cardinals will lose one of their fan favorites, James Scott. This heartbreaking news crushed the fan base, but it was somewhat expected, as the Cardinals' depth did not favor Scott starting.
The transfer portal deadline officially passed, making Louisville 100 percent certain who is set on returning. The Cardinals are reaching out and contacting for their final roster spots, but it appears a glaring priority right now is the class of 2026.
Related: 3 Louisville basketball players who will be rewarded for staying with Pat Kelsey
Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals are in contact with at least five 5-star recruits and have been pushing for three of them recently. Louisville made trips to visit Abdou Toure and Deron Rippey Jr. The two 5-star recruits have received offers from Louisville, and the Cardinals are quickly trying to prove they are poised to be one of the nation's best teams for a long time.
The Cardinals also landed in Anthony Thompson's top 15 schools. Kelsey and the Cardinals hope to continue to hear good news from the No. 5 overall recruit, as Thompson has one of the highest ceilings in the class. A glaring name to watch is the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes.
Louisville remains the favorite to land Stokes, but he has recently visited the Kansas Jayhawks and expressed enjoyment with what they had to offer. Louisville's in-state rival is the following program to receive a visit, as the Kentucky Wildcats have their visit lineup with the 5-star phenom out of Louisville, Ky.
On3 Sports recently updated its prediction for the Cardinals' No. 1 target, and Louisville saw its odds drop tremendously. The Cardinals had a 66.8 percent chance to land Stokes, but now have a 42.7 percent chance, with Kansas having the second-best percentage at 37.3 percent.
Related: 2026 No. 1 prospect, Tyran Stokes, trending towards Louisville basketball
NFL Draft day two recap
The Louisville Cardinals saw two players drafted on day two of the NFL Draft. The big name to be called was the former quarterback, Tyler Shough. The former Cardinal star was one of the most significant conversations entering the NFL Draft, as many fell in love with his tape and his potential. Shough proved at the Reese's Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine that he is a top-three quarterback in this year's NFL Draft, and the Saints clearly agree, as they took him over Shedeur Sanders.
The New Orleans Saints drafted Shough in the second round at pick No. 40. This was such a shocking and massive selection by the Saints because Colorado's star quarterback has yet to be drafted. The former Cardinal was just the third quarterback to be drafted in the NFL Draft. Sanders is still undrafted, as five quarterbacks have been selected ahead of the Colorado quarterback, making this the story of the draft so far.
After Shough, the Cardinals' edge rusher, Ashton Gillotte, was picked in the third round by the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Cardinal started every game for the past two seasons and secured 88 tackles, 24.5 tackles for a loss, 15.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. Gillotte was one of the Cardinals' best defensive players in school history, and fans are excited to see him playing in Arrowhead Stadium.
Quincy Riley is the next Cardinal expected to be drafted. The lockdown cornerback is expected to be drafted on day three or four of the NFL Draft. Riley was the Cardinals' No. 1 cornerback for the last two seasons.