The New Orleans Saints were in the headlines for a majority of the offseason leading up to the NFL Draft because they were the team closest linked to Shedeur Sanders. Ultimately, the Saints passed on Sanders, drafted offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. in the first round and quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round.
ESPN's NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper recently put together his draft grades for each team. When he got to the Saints, he graded their draft as a "B-," but he had some harsh comments to go with it.
"Reach, reach, reach. That's what I have down in my notes for the Saints. Too many reaches. I was critical of their first round," Kiper wrote. "I was similarly critical of their second and third rounds. Some of that centered around their QB approach -- I had a much higher grade on Shedeur Sanders than I did Tyler Shough, who they took at No. 40.
"But I just didn't love their value throughout. On Shough, are we sure he's going to be the heir apparent to Derek Carr? The veteran is dealing with a shoulder injury, and his status for 2025 is up in the air. I understand that Shough is 26 years old, but I'm not sure New Orleans can put him on the field this season and expect to win games."
Kiper may be the biggest Sanders fan in the media, so the Saints' decision to select an older, injury prone quarterback like Shough over Sanders was sure to come with harsh criticism.
While Kiper is critical of the Shough pick, it feels like that was the only selection the Saints reached on. Their draft class has quite a bit of talent and a whole lot of potential. If they happen to hit on the Shough pick, their class could turn out incredibly well.
