NFL Draft Grades: Grading Saints' Shocking Pick Of Tyler Shough

The Saints shocked the world with their second-round pick.

Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough during Pro Day at the UofL Football's Trager Indoor Practice Facility Tuesday, March 25, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the No. 40 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough. This pick shocked the NFL world as Shough was the third quarterback taken off the board, after Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart, and he was picked ahead of Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.

At the time, this pick didn't make much sense, but after a few days of digesting the selection, let's dig a little deeper.

How does this pick grade?

NFL Draft Grades: D-

Of all seven rounds, this might be my least favorite selection. The only reason it doesn't get an "F" grade is because I want to give Shough the benefit of the doubt.

If the Saints wanted a quarterback, they had a few options. They could have done what the Giants did and trade up for Dart, who's a much better quarterback than Shough. Or they could have waited until the later rounds to select somebody like Kyle McCord, Jalen Milroe, or Will Howard, all of which are comparable to Shough.

Instead, the Saints used a premium selection on a quarterback who's going to be nearly 26 years old by the time the season starts. Shough is older than Trevor Lawrence and Lawrence has played in 60 NFL games, thrown 69 NFL touchdowns, and been in the league for four years. Ja'Marr Chase is also younger than Shough and he's been in the league for four years and has over 5,400 receiving yards and 46 touchdowns.

The Saints whiffed on this pick. Shough doesn't have the ceiling to take them to the Super Bowl, yet they used a top 40 pick on him. It isn't likely this pick ages well.

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