The New Orleans Saints have been receiving major backlash from fans after selecting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough. However, contrary to popular belief, he is a good pick that has potential to give New Orleans its franchise quarterback.
The most important thing to note is that this is Kellen Moore’s selection. He took his quarterback. It’s more important how the front office and coaching staff feels about Shough than it is the analysts or fans. At the end of the day, Moore likes Shough better than Shedeur Sanders or Jalen Milroe. That’s his choice. He took his guy and fans have to know that.
The biggest question fans have about Tyler Shough is his injury history. While at Texas Tech, he had three season ending injuries. In 2021 and 2022 he broke his collarbone. Then in 2023 he broke his fibula. His durability is a major concern but the positive outlook is that he never had a serious arm or ligament injury which is much tougher to return from rather than broken bones. Shough staying healthy is paramount to his success in New Orleans.
Another valid question surrounding Shough is his age. He is the oldest prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, turning 26 in September. He may be old but an older quarterback is nowhere near as big of an issue as it would be for other positions. His experience in playing against power five defenses will translate to the NFL. They may not be as complex as defenses at the next level but having that experience against them will help ease the transition to the league.
Shough has an elite frame for the position. He stands at 6’5”, 225 pounds. His frame gives him the power to put velocity on throws and to have a clear vision in the middle of the field. The Saints are used to their smaller quarterbacks but will gladly transition to a larger quarterback.
His calling card is his arm talent. He can reach every spot on the field with his arm. Shough prefers to operate from the pocket but is able to improvise and escape. He excels at using a wide variety of different arm angles to find an open lane to get the pass to his receivers. In addition to this, he is accurate while throwing on the run out of the pocket.
Shough is a smart quarterback, this is evident with his four collegiate degrees. He understands coverage well and excels at processing. He is a good decision maker. In 2024 he had 23 touchdowns to just six interceptions. It’s tough for defenses to confuse him which allows him to make wise decisions.
Overall, fans might not like this pick, however, Tyler Shough has potential to be the Saints’ franchise quarterback. It’s alright for fans to have their skepticisms surrounding him, but Kellen Moore clearly believes in him. Only time will tell how this pick ages, nevertheless, fans should be hopeful about the future with Tyler Shough.