The New Orleans Saints select QB Tyler Shough with the 40th overall pick of their 2024 NFL Draft. This moment is a huge testament to his abnormal one-of-a-kind adventure through college football. Shough, who’ll be 26 by the start of the NFL season, should be bringing in a ton of experience. To recap, over seven years of college eligibility he’s gotten, he’s played for three different programs. He was a four-year letterman at Oregon from 2018-20. After that, he moved to Texas Tech for the 2021 to 2023 seasons, and most recently, he’s been with Louisville in 2024.
Shough’s path has been anything but conventional. Similar to the beginning of his career at Texas Tech, he faced significant adversity. Collarbone injuries forced him to miss virtually his first two seasons. In 2023, it was his even worse fibula that went on a hip-drop tackle to prematurely end his season. These challenges would have given pause to most other teams. No matter what, the Saints remained committed, devoting immense time and hours to honing in with Shough before the draft.
From Moore’s perspective, having a veteran like Shough is crucial. He admitted Shough’s injury history might be an issue. Perhaps more than anything, Shough’s maturity and ability to cope with adversity made him the clear choice for a team that was in transition.
“Tyler’s experience, certainly there’s value to that,” – Kellen Moore
From that process, it was clear to Saints coaching staff that Shough emerged as a standout quarterback. Moore pointed to Shough’s remarkable aptitude for digesting football ideas at a rapid pace in big-picture fashion while watching film. This new talent fits nicely with what makes up the team’s strategic objectives going into next season and beyond.
“You can see it in the classroom aspect of this thing. His ability to process football at a very easy rate in the classroom is really good when you throw him up there and you’re watching film and you’re talking about plays and concepts,” – Kellen Moore
The Saints didn’t need your average rookie when they decided to draft Shough. His age and experience made him a rarity among his draft class. If harnessed properly, this rare way of seeing the world can serve him and his future team massively. Moore emphasized that evaluating quarterbacks often involves watching how they respond to mistakes and adversity.
“That’s a fun task when you’re evaluating quarterbacks is watch them screw up, watch them throw an interception, see how they respond in the next drive,” – Kellen Moore
The Saints’ signal-caller competition this season should be among the most intriguing in the entire league. In the other pocket, Shough will compete for a position against luminaries like Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener. If Carr ends up keeping the starting job, Shough will compete to be the backup.
Shough has a previous connection with Saints tight end Juwan Johnson. They were teammates at Oregon during his freshman year, and that formative bond can only serve to strengthen Shough’s transition to professional football. Meanwhile, Shough is preparing to become a member of the Saints. He’s most looking forward to working with the coaching staff and reuniting with high school friends!
“I’m just really excited to work with the coaches and see a lot of my close friends and teammates that are already there,” – Tyler Shough
Moore said the team’s multiple visits with Shough only furthered the team’s interest in him. With each passing interaction, there loomed new causes for excitement over what Shough could bring to those creative activities.
“We feel like we’re in a really good space there to allow this thing to compete and go through this process,” – Kellen Moore
General Manager Mickey Loomis echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a player’s maturity can be an asset at the quarterback position.
“I think it’s a benefit when a guy’s had a lot of experience and has a little maturity to him at that position,” – Mickey Loomis
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