At the trade deadline, the New Orleans Saints moved two offensive starters, wide receiver Rasheed Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks and offensive tackle Trevor Penning to the Los Angeles Chargers. While the team stopped short of a full fire sale, these moves signaled a shift toward rebuilding, with the Saints prioritizing draft capital and future assets.
Since the trade deadline, the Saints' 3-2 run has sparked an intriguing debate among fans, about how continued success could impact the team’s future draft positioning. Some fans wonder whether short term momentum is worth the potential sliding down the draft board in a season still defined by long term rebuilding questions.
When it comes to draft strategy, the most important factor is always the quarterback. Since taking over as the starter in week 9, Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has shown signs that he could be the longterm answer under center, suggesting the organization may no longer need to prioritize slecting a quarterback in the first round.
With Tyler Shough under center, the Saints should prioritize winning
Shough has played fairly well in his six games as a starter, taking over the reigns for a squad that was 1-7 and guiding them to a 3-3 record while earning an impressive 77.4 PFF grade. He’s thrown for 1,484 yards, while completing 66.7% of his passes, to go along with eight total touchdowns and five interceptions.
The production reflects steady efficiency, even if the turnovers highlight areas that need improvement. Overall, the numbers support that he’s been serviceable and competitive, keeping the conversation open as the Saints leader. While questions remain about his longterm ceiling, Shough has at least given the Saints reason to evaluate him as a viable option moving forward.
His poise and resilience have been encouraging, even if consistency remains a work in progress. Continued development and a larger sample size will be key in determining whether he can solidify that role. With three games remaining, the Saints should focus on finishing their season as strong as possible, while giving Shough every opportunity to further clarify his longterm outlook.