Tyler Shough isn't your average rookie quarterback.
The Louisville standout that landed with the Saints at No. 40 overall has played for three different schools and will be 26 during his rookie season. He's older than Spencer Rattler and even Trevor Lawrence, who has been in the league for 4 seasons. But the highest-drafted Saints QB since Archie Manning sees that as a strength, as he explained on WWL Radio during our Day 2 Draft fest special.
"Kind of the trend, Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels, guys who have kind of been through some stuff and been seasoned and gone through some adversity and been through multiple situations, they’re kind of finding their stride," Shough told Bobby Hebert, Mike Detillier, Deuce McAllister, Mike Hoss and Steve Geller.
"Luckily I was able to do that in college and that’s why I was super excited for this opportunity. I always felt like I was the most pro-ready guy in this draft class to come in and compete right away and contribute.”
Hear the full interview with Tyler Shough in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
It's a point that Hebert agrees with, as does head coach Kellen Moore who was quick to point out that quarterbacks typically don't pick until their late 20s or early 30s. The Saints enjoyed some of Drew Brees' most successful years in his late 30s. Tom Brady won a Super Bowl in his 40s.
At the end of the day, if the quarterback has a long, successful career, the issue won't be that the Saints made a bad decision bringing him in when they did. The adversity Shough has already faced is seen as seasoning. That includes multiple season-ending injuries with a broken clavicle and fibula, and a season limited to seven games due to COVID before he was able to start 12 games at Louisville in Jeff Brohm's pro-style system.
He completed 62% of his passes for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. In the process he was able to firmly establish himself on the Saints' radar, where they felt comfortable making him the third QB selected after Cam Ward to the Titans at No. 1 and Jaxson Dart to the Giants at No. 24.
More years, more time to learn, more routes seen, more challenges faced, more answers at the NFL level.
"It was great for me to go through that, to grow through that and come out the other side where you can, OK, I understand how I can improve this way rather than coming into the NFL and now you’re going through the learning process," Shough said. "Obviously I’m going to continue to learn and grow and get better, but for me it kind of strengthened me from that perspective and being able to talk about that and dive into it I think really helped me throughout this process.”
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Shough now joins a team and system led and directed by former NFL quarterbacks. That group includes head coach Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and QBs coach Scott Tolzien. He's also returning to Louisiana where he twice spent time in Thibodeaux at the Manning Passing Academy.
"The food I had in Thibodeaux was the best I ever had, no doubt about that. I can’t wait to get there. I’m definitely gonna have to eat it in small quantities because I’ve got to keep the weight right, but I definitely loved it when I was there and you can’t beat the weather, either.”
The Saints' other selections included Texas OT Kelvin Banks at No. 9, as well as another Texas player in DT Vernon Broughton at 71, then Virginia safety Jonas Sanker at 93. The Saints hold five more picks on Day 3, including a pair of fourth rounders.