NFL executive confirms suspicion around Saints' selection of QB Tyler Shough in second round of 2025 NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is always a whirlwind of reports, rumors, and expectations. Every team has a plan of action, and that plan can change based on every single pick, especially in the first couple of rounds.  For the New Orleans Saints, they landed one of their top quarterback prospects in the class in Louisville QB […]

Adam Holt NFL News Writer
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The NFL Draft is always a whirlwind of reports, rumors, and expectations. Every team has a plan of action, and that plan can change based on every single pick, especially in the first couple of rounds. 

For the New Orleans Saints, they landed one of their top quarterback prospects in the class in Louisville QB Tyler Shough with the 40th overall selection. Picking the older QB prospect in round two surprised some people, but it may have been more of a necessity than many folks previously believed. 

NFL had interest in Shough, not just New Orleans

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler revealed some intriguing 2025 NFL Draft updates, and it sounds like there was plenty of interest in Shough around the range he was taken by New Orleans.

An AFC exec said of second-round quarterback Tyler Shough: "He was a hot name Day 2. Sounds like he would have gone pretty quickly if not for New Orleans. He's got some of what [new head coach] Kellen Moore [likes], intelligence at the position, good makeup. Will need to improve his accuracy at the next level." — Fowler via ESPN

Clearly, the Saints felt like they had no chance of getting Shough in round three, even though they picked twice in that round. They felt like the rest of the league had enough notable interest in Shough, which forced them to be a bit aggressive with the selection. 

Kellen Moore was really impressed by Shough's leadership, character, and multiple on-field performance factors. He felt like he was a great fit for his style of offense. There's a reasonable chance that the rookie starts for the Saints in Week 1. 

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No matter what – Fowler's report dictates that New Orleans wasn't way higher on Shough than the rest of the NFL. Draft media and fans around the league just did not expect his stock to be so high, entering the draft. 

We will see if the bold move by New Orleans pans out, or if they will be looking for a new quarterback sooner than later.