The New Orleans Saints shocked the NFL world when they used the No. 40 pick in the NFL Draft to select 25-year-old Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, seemingly to be Derek Carr's successor in New Orleans.
This pick has the NFL world split with a majority finding it head-scratching, to put it kindly.
Sporting News' Dan Treacy recently listed the Saints' pick of Shough as one of the worst value picks in the entire NFL Draft.
"It's pretty rare for highly drafted older quarterbacks to pan out. We're not talking about 23- or 24-year-olds," Treacy wrote. "Shough is set to turn 26 in September, and the oldest quarterbacks drafted, from Chris Weinke to Brandon Weeden, have a subpar track record.
"Tyler Shough has impressive size and looked impressive at Louisville when healthy, but his injury history and the mere fact he had seven years of practice under his belt at the collegiate level make it less than certain he will be able to turn those flashes of college success into sustained NFL productivity. The Saints don't have a quarterback of the future on their roster, and the No. 40 pick likely wasn't the spot to bet on a quarterback with the red flags of Shough becoming that player."
Shough likely isn't a second-round talent. The Saints could have drafted players like Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, and Kyle McCord much further down the board, yet they opted to use the No. 40 pick on a quarterback who's already older than Trevor Lawrence.
It's definitely one of the worst value picks in the NFL Draft.
Final New Orleans Saints 2025 NFL Draft Grades
The New Orleans Saints 2025 draft class grades are in.
As the NFL Draft concluded, the media swiftly began working on grading each team's draft class. From selecting a surprising quarterback in round two to finding gems down the board, news outlets had a lot to say about the Saints' new rookies.
NFL: B-
NFL.com's draft analyst Chad Reuter wrote the final snap grades for all 32 team's draft classes. Reuter credited the Saints for filling their needs for a tackle and quarterback in the first two rounds and approved of the team's Day 3 selections, giving them a B- for rounds 4-7.
CBS: B
CBS Sports draft analyst Chris Trapasso rated the Saints selections highly, with most individual picks earning a B- or better. Trapasso, however, wasn't high on New Orleans taking quarterback Tyler Shough 40th overall and wasn't a big fan of the Danny Stutsman selection in round four. OT Kelvin Banks Jr, S Jonas Sanker, and RB Devin Neal were all tied with the highest grade of B+.
PFF: C+
Pro Football Focus came out with their official draft grades, giving the Saints a C+. While not giving specifics on player grades, PFF credited New Orleans for drafting physical defenders and filling their needs.
USA Today: B
Nate Davis of USA Today graded all 32 team's draft classes. Davis gave the Saints a promising grade of a B while giving General Manager Mickey Loomis his flowers. Davis notes Loomis matched value to needs perfectly for the team's first four selections and believes many of the rookies the Saints selected will be eventual starters for the team.
Sports Illustrated: C
Sports Illustrated handed New Orleans one of their roughest grades of the draft, grading their nine selections as a C. Staff writer Gilberto Manzano reviewed the draft, noting he believes the team reached on their first-round pick and should've prioritized a young quarterback with more upside rather than Shough. The team at Sports Illustrated believes New Orleans prioritized the wrong side of the ball and should've focused on the defense in the early rounds.
It's important to take draft grades with a grain of salt. Different analysts prioritize different needs and seek certain traits over others. While draft grades could be a good indicator of the value of a player, a selection can't be properly rated until a few years into a player's career.
