NFL Writer Has Harsh Opinion On Saints' 2025 NFL Draft Class

How would you grade the Saints' NFL Draft class?

Oct 15, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; View of a Crucial Catch logo on the helmet of New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints put together one of the more controversial draft classes in the league this season and it completely stems around their first two selections. In the first round, it seemed like the Saints reached on offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., but that selection isn't too bad.

In the second round, the Saints made Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough the third quarterback selected off the board. Shough was a major reach with players like Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, and Kyle McCord on the board.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently put together his draft grades for every NFL team's draft class. When he got to the Saints, Knox was quite critical and graded them a "D+."

"Unfortunately, the Saints didn't do the best job of maximizing value early in the draft, and it's fair to wonder if taking Shough over quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe was a massive mistake," Knox wrote. "New Orleans may need to prove a lot of people wrong for its draft to be considered a big win."

It's easy to jump to conclusions about a draft class or a draft pick, but it's impossible to judge these players until they've taken the field for a while.

While Shough may seem like a major whiff right now, he's going to be put to the test early and he'll have every opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

The Banks pick wasn't a bad pick because he was a clear top three offensive tackle in the class and the Saints desperately needed to add some offensive line help.

More NFL: Saints' Second Round Pick Shockingly Called 'Best Pick Of Draft'