Why Saints broke QB draft drought to select little-known passer Tyler Shough

Greg Auman

NFL Reporter

The Saints‘ new quarterback is, relatively speaking, an old quarterback.

New Orleans used its second-round draft pick on Louisville‘s Tyler Shough, whose draft stock rose after seven years of college football, going 40th overall for the Saints’ highest draft pick used on a quarterback since Archie Manning in 1971.

With the future of veteran Derek Carr unsure at best due to a shoulder injury, the 25-year-old Shough could be their starting quarterback, going higher in the draft than third-year pro Jake Haener or second-year passer Spencer Rattler. Shough broke through at Louisville last year, throwing for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns, but that came after three seasons each at Oregon and Texas Tech.

To put his age in perspective: Shough — his last name is pronounced “shuck,” putting him in line for a French Quarter oyster house sponsorship deal — was an Oregon teammate in 2019 of current Saints tight end Juwan Johnson, a sixth-year pro who’s now on his third NFL contract. Shough got his Master’s degree in 2022, and now will have the chance to take the reins of a new Saints offense led by first-year coach Kellen Moore.

Shough’s selection is also notable for who the Saints didn’t take: Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders. He had been projected by many analysts as a potential match for New Orleans’ first-round pick at ninth overall. Sanders was not picked in Thursday’s first round, watching as the Giants traded up but chose Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, and then the Saints went in another direction Friday.

While he’s the definition of a late bloomer, Shough won scouts over this spring. He has good size at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and a strong, accurate arm. He is exactly one year older than Rattler, drafted last year, and is six months younger than Haener, who was drafted in 2023.

The Saints used their first-round pick Thursday on Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, with the hopes that an upgraded offensive line will make life easier for whoever is behind center. New Orleans has a busy draft still ahead, with two picks in the third and fourth rounds as a result of trading corner Marshon Lattimore.

New Orleans is hoping to bounce back from a 5-12 record — the team’s worst since 2006 — that saw the Saints finish last in the NFC South. Shough could have a chance to give them their first playoff appearance since Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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