Saints draft Shough in 2nd round amid uncertainty with Carr

The New Orleans Saints selected Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 40th overall.

Shough's selection comes amid uncertainty over Derek Carr's availability for 2025. The Saints quarterback is dealing with a shoulder injury that could leave him sidelined.

New Orleans passed on Colorado passer Shedeur Sanders to take Shough, who was the third quarterback drafted after Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart.

Shough marks the first time the Saints have used a first- or second-round pick on a quarterback since they selected Archie Manning in 1971, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Pre-draft profile

Shough's age will be a nonstarter for many - a seven-year college career means he'll turn 26 in September. Those willing to look past the Brandon Weeden-esque number may find the hidden gem of this quarterback group. Shough, a four-star recruit from Oregon's 2018 class, enrolled at Louisville for a final year of eligibility after three straight injury-shortened seasons at Texas Tech. Some better luck allowed him to start all 12 games, and he was finally able to demonstrate everything he brings to the table. Shough is a proficient pocket passer with plenty of arm talent, boasts good ball placement to all levels of the field, and has the processing skills to efficiently work through progressions. He manages the pocket well and is far more mobile than you might expect for a player of his size. Developing behind an established veteran is the ideal scenario, as he needs to improve his ability to operate on time to become an effective starter. That may only make the advanced age more worrisome, but the path is there. How many quarterbacks really stick around for 15 years, anyway? Shough could end up being a steal if teams overthink this one.