Heading into the NFL Draft, the quarterback situation for the New Orleans Saints was uncertain. Spencer Rattler was set to play in his second year, and Derek Carr was likely to miss most of the season due to injury. This left the door open for the Saints to draft a quarterback, with some speculating that it would be Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart.
Sanders believed he was going to be drafted by the Saints, but it turned out to be a prank call from Jax Ulbrich, the son of Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Instead, the Falcons selected Tyler Shough, and it turns out, Shough was the quarterback the Saints wanted all along.
“Tyler's experience, certainly there's value to that," said Kellen Moore. "You can see it in the classroom aspect of this thing. His ability to process football at a very easy rate in the classroom. It's really, really good when you throw him up there and you're watching film and you're talking about plays and concepts. He's got great exposure, and he's got great experiences that he can lean on.”
Not only that, but Shough may be thrown into the starting role for the Saints immediately, as he is an older, more experienced quarterback at the age of 25. Shough was regarded as the best-looking QB at the NFL Combine, but some teams were hesitant to take him due to his age.
Ryan Clark praised Shough on Wednesday, highlighting his talent and his ability to know exactly what to do with the football at all times.
“He can flat out throw a football. He understands where it needs to go, when it needs to get there and exactly where it needs to be on the receiver,” Clark said.
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Shough is shaping up to be a massive pickup for New Orleans—whether it’s for this season or for the future. There’s no doubt the Saints could have hit the jackpot by selecting Shough.