Saints Draft Potential Derek Carr Replacement Early on Day 2

The matchup against the New Orleans Saints last November was arguably the beginning of the end of Kirk Cousins as the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback. That matchup could also be the last time Saints signal-caller Derek Carr faces the Falcons.

With Carr dealing with a shoulder injury, New Orleans selected a quarterback, not named Sanders, in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft -- Louisville's Tyler Shough.

A lot of fans were surprised to see Shough come off the board ahead of Shedeur Sanders. But Shough received a Day 2 grade from a lot of draft pundits, including NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.

"Pocket passer with a seven-year college career prompted by three consecutive years of injuries while at Texas Tech. Shough will turn 26 in September, was in the same recruiting class as Trevor Lawrence and backed up Justin Herbert at Oregon," Zierlein wrote. "He’s a talented passer with a live arm who is capable of making pro throws both intermediate and deep but battles inconsistency.

"He plays with good field vision, using his eyes to hold defenders and set up his throwing windows. Shough is confident and accurate when protected, but will flinch when pressure mounts, leading to spotty decision-making and big sacks. His size and passing talent will be enticing, but durability and mobility concerns are impediments he will need to overcome."

NFL insiders appeared to rush to X (formerly Twitter) to explain why Shough was worthy of selection ahead of No. 40 overall.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported one coach had Shough ranked ahead of quarterback Cam Ward, who went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero posted a video on X of himself on The Dan Patrick Show before the draft where he said "the wildest rumor" of the draft is that Shough will be the third quarterback off the board.

Surprised by Tyler Shough as QB3? You shouldn’t be. Here’s why. https://t.co/LabcAxfNBS
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 25, 2025

As the first quarterback selected on Day 2, Shough was the third quarterback chosen overall in the 2025 draft. Ward and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart were the only first-round signal-callers taken Thursday.

Shough could immediately compete for playing time with the Saints because of Carr's shoulder injury. It's unclear if Carr will be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season or if he will play at all during the campaign. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported during the first round that shoulder surgery was on the table for the 34-year-old.

The Saints also have 2024 fifth-round quarterback Spencer Rattler on their roster.