Who Is Tyler Shough? Saints QB Of Future Stands Out

After weeks of rumors, the New Orleans Saints have their quarterback of the future.

New Orleans made a somewhat surprising decision on Friday night as it selected Tyler Shough with the No. 40 pick in the second round. ESPN had him ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the draft class but he was taken as the third quarterback off the board behind Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart.

So, why him?

Shough started his college career at Oregon, where he backed up Justin Herbert," ESPN's Steve Muench said. "He missed significant time with injuries in his three seasons at Texas Tech and had his best season in 2024 at Louisville. He has a prototypical frame (6-5, 225) for an NFL quarterback and makes some impressive throws. He passes into tight windows over the middle and drops the ball into the bucket throwing downfield.

"Shough stands in and makes plays in the face of pressure. He protects the ball well and keeps his eyes downfield as he climbs the pocket. He extends plays and makes off-platform throws. Shough ran well at the combine with a 4.63-second 40, and his speed makes him a threat to scramble for first downs."

He spent seven years in college thanks in large part to injuries. At one point he was Justin Herbert's backup and now he will likely try to help the Saints turn things around. He has great size at 6'5'' and 219 pounds. Now, it will be up to Kellen Moore to get the most out of him.

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