Saints should feel even better about taking a chance on QB Tyler Shough after OROY nominations

"Reach, reach, reach. That's what I have in my notes for the Saints," wrote Kiper. "Some of that centered on their QB approach — I had a much higher grade on Shedeur Sanders [Cleveland Browns, pick No. 144] than I did Tyler Shough, whom they took at No. 40." 

Kiper and other analysts may have felt teams couldn't ignore Shough's durability issues. In seven seasons at Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville, the 26-year-old broke his collarbone twice and fractured his left fibula. He never played more than seven games in a season in his collegiate career until 2024, when he started 12. When healthy, however, Shough displayed many of the tools that a successful starting QB needs. 

"Once he was fully healthy this past fall at Louisville, he showed outstanding arm talent and an ability to operate under pressure that few in the draft class can match," CBS Sports' Mike Renner said of the QB before the draft (h/t CBS Sports' Dave Richard).

How Tyler Shough has silenced his predraft critics

The Saints bet on Shough's traits. Thus far, that has worked out. He assumed the starting role in October after QB Spencer Rattler went 1-7. New Orleans improved quickly when the rookie entered the lineup. 

With Shough starting, the Saints went 5-4. In a 34-26 Week 17 win over the Tennessee Titans, he threw for a season-high 333 yards after totaling 308 passing yards in a 29-6 Week 16 win over the New York Jets. With those performances, he joined Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals) and Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) as the only rookies in the Super Bowl era with 300-plus passing yards and no interceptions in consecutive games.

Shough finished with 2,384 yards passing, 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions in 10 games in 2025. He also ranked 11th in completion percentage (67.6 percent) among 42 eligible QBs. It's safe to say he would go much higher in a re-draft. 

"A person can even argue [Shough] should have been the No. 1 overall pick when compared to his classmates," wrote Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski in his re-draft, where Shough slotted in at No. 3, behind Titans QB Cam Ward and Dart.

It's too early to call Shough a franchise QB. Plenty of passers regress after impressive rookie seasons (i.e., Houston Texans third-year QB C.J. Stroud, 2023 OROY). But for now, it looks like the Saints made the right choice when they drafted him.