Sants Under Fire For 'Draft Mistake' After Spencer Rattler Decision

The Saints have their quarterback...

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints made the bold decision to reach for a quarterback at the top of the second round in the 2025 NFL Draft. They grabbed quarterback Tyler Shough, and it seemed like he would be the starter going forward.

But after a position battle with Spencer Rattler, Shough has officially been benched with Rattler being named the Week 1 starter.

FanSided's Justin Carter recently criticized the Saints' second-round selection of Shough following the team's decision to start Rattler in Week 1. Carter suggests the Saints should have selected a defensive player with this pick instead.

Saints facing backlash for Tyler Shough selection

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) runs in for a touchdown against Denver Broncos linebacker Andrew Farmer (53) during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

"Take your pick here. South Carolina defensive tackle T.J. Sanders? Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins? Michigan cornerback Will Johnson? South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight? Heck, I could probably make an argument for Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, who was drafted 11 spots after Shough," Carter wrote. "The problem here is that the Saints needed a quarterback, but they fell into the trap that teams fall into, where they think drafting one in the second round is a good idea. It isn't. The only other second-round quarterback who is starting for the team that drafted him is Philly's Jalen Hurts.

"When New Orleans passed on Jaxson Dart at No. 9 overall, that should have been the end of things. Maybe they could have traded up a couple of spots in the third for Jalen Milroe. Maybe they just take someone in the fourth or fifth to add competition. But the moment they picked Shough, the Saints resigned themselves to a terrible reality, which is that they'll almost certainly still be searching for a quarterback next offseason and they won't have gotten any long-term value out of their 2025 second-round pick."

The selection of Shough was always a head scratcher. He doesn't have the traits to be a franchise quarterback, and that's been clear since the start. Now the Saints have obviously wasted this draft selection, and they'll more than likely be in the hunt for a quarterback again in 2026.

Fortunately for the Saints, their top draft pick, Kelvin Banks Jr., looks to be a franchise offensive tackle, so not all is lost with this draft class.

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