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Tyler Shough is a potential bust and avoid in 2025 fantasy football rookie drafts. Read the fantasy football outlook for the new Saints quarterback.
DRAFT PICK: 2nd Round (#40 Overall Pick)
TEAM: New Orleans Saints
ROOKIE DRAFT ANALYSIS: The closer we got to the NFL Draft, the more it felt like we were destined to see Tyler Shough leap up draft boards. Ultimately, the Saints made Shough the third quarterback drafted after Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart. But, like...why?
get to know Tyler Shough:
#2 worst accuracy vs Power-5 opponents of any QB in this class
42% comp rate when pressured
#2 worst in QB class ahead of only Max Brosmer
58% comp rate when blitzed
#2 worst in QB class ahead of only Jalen Milroe
solid performance when kept clean pic.twitter.com/eO6ExbIBFg
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 10, 2025
Shough was the oldest prospect drafted in this year's NFL Draft. In fact, it's been mentioned that he might be the last player born in the 1990s to be drafted. Maybe you view that as a sign of his experience and his ability to come in and take over the Saints' starting role right away. In one sense, that's correct — his age and experience mean he probably will be the Saints' starter immediately. However, that doesn't mean he will be the long-term answer for New Orleans.
This isn't quite the same as Brandon Weeden, who was 28 years old when he was drafted. That move by the Browns in 2012 should go down as one of the worst of all time, because why are you drafting a QB who's almost 30? This isn't exactly that. But there are parallels.
Both players took a bit to show NFL-level skills in college. For Weeden, it was because he went off and played professional baseball for a bit, then spent two seasons on the Oklahoma State bench, biding his time.
For Shough, his late breakout was a combination of things. He began his career at Oregon, where he was a redshirt freshman. However, at the end of the year, it became clear that the team saw Anthony Brown as its future quarterback, so Shough left for Texas Tech.
In Lubbock, Shough broke his collarbone, ending his 2021 campaign early. In 2022, he dealt with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss some time. In 2023, he suffered a broken fibula early in the year and missed the rest of the season.
The next stop was Louisville, where Shough finally had a full, healthy season and showcased skills that made him look like an NFL prospect. It took until 2024 for a guy who started college in 2019 to look like an NFL quarterback, which feels like a bad sign.
It's just hard to see why Shough can be the answer in New Orleans. Yes, he's got NFL-level skills, but how much more developmental room does he have? Is this version of Shough the best version we'll get?
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