The New Orleans Saints have made it their mission this offseason to surround Tyler Shough with the proper support to make a sophomore surge more likely than a sophomore slump. The team brought in Travis Etienne and David Edwards in free agency to notably give Shough more weapons, a boost in the running game and more protection when Shough drops back.
The gameplan will transfer to the NFL Draft. Even with the free agency splashes, there is still some work to do. Pro Football Focus' John Kosko laid out the worst case for the Saints would be walking out of the draft and "not surrounding Tyler Shough with protection and weapons."
The Saints should look into bolstering the wide receiver room. The unit's depth has been a source of debate recently. Behind Chris Olave, it's hard to find a consensus on any of the other receivers. Kosko mentioned protection as well, which suggests he's either displeased with Cesar Ruiz or thinks they need to build depth. It's hard to argue on either front.
Saints should listen to all the advice about Tyler Shough.... except that one piece
Kosko is fair for identifying offense as the focal point. When you're trying to determine the viability of your potential franchise quarterback, you want to give him the best chance to succeed. Last year, the Shough hype train was largely fueled by the quarterback excelling in less than ideal circumstances. That box has been checked, and it's time to see him in an offense where the quarterback and supporting cast elevate each other.
For everything Kosko said, he did get one thing wrong. He wrote, "focusing on offense with its first pick is a must." Acquiring more weapons for Shough is important, but it is not a requirement in the first round.
This isn't even about the ability to find late round steals. You could just get a wide receiver in the second round. Yes, options like Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate could be available at 8, and it would make sense to pick them. If a Caleb Downs or David Bailey is on the board, however, picking one of the wide receivers in the name of selecting offense would be misguided.
The defense also needs help. They need a pass rusher, a slot player and help on the interior of the defensive line. The latter likely isn't on the table in the first round, but the first two options are. Building around Shough is important, but you also don't want to see him have to go into every game wondering if a shootout is on the horizon.