The New Orleans Saints have a serious quarterback problem. 2024 starter Derek Carr supposedly has a serious shoulder injury that previously went undisclosed. He missed four games last year with an abdomen strain and backup Spencer Rattler, a rookie, did not look the part of heir apparent.
With the NFL Draft quickly approaching, the Saints are in danger of panicking and making a selection they might regret down the road. With the No. 9 pick, New Orleans could be tempted to trade up with their NFC South rivals in Carolina (No. 8). Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that his team "will be waiting if somebody wants to come up."
Miami's Cam Ward is expected to be gone by that point and Colorado passer Shedeur Sanders' stock has been ominously sinking in recent days. The latter is certainly an option that far down in the first round but the economical choice could be to wait for Day 2 or 3 to select a new signal caller.
Derek Carr's injury might cause Saints to panic and pick wrong QB for its future
According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, there's an NFL head coach out there that believes Louisville's Tyler Shough will be the best QB in this draft class. That came on the heels of reports Shough was in New Orleans visiting the Saints ahead of the draft.
The 25-year-old Texas Tech transfer went relatively under the radar during the 2024 college football season, keeping the Cardinals in the ACC title race deep into the calendar. He threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns. Not bad but his six interceptions and 14 sacks don't offer a ton of confidence.
Shough ranked 20th among all college passers last year and didn't make too many waves at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. Plenty of diamonds have come out of the rough for teams in the past but Shough does not show any of the signs of even being a gem.
He's ranked No. 4 among QBs, per ESPN, but the Saints can't make a decision to reach for a mid-round passer when there are other needs they have to address. If They want to take a big swing, perhaps Sanders may be worth the gamble in round one if he falls to No. 8 or No. 9.
