The New Orleans Saints believe they've found their quarterback of the future in Tyler Shough, as seen by their investment in the offense around him.
He had a promising rookie season, coming in as the second-half starter for the Saints and proving he was a solid starter. But he only made nine starts, and still has to prove he's for real.
That was further backed up by ESPN's Bill Barnwell projecting Shough's trade value as less than a first-round pick. Despite a good rookie year, teams around the NFL still likely need to see Shough prove himself.
Tyler Shough still needs to prove himself with trade cost reveal from ESPN
"Missing out: QB Tyler Shough, Edge Chase Young," Barnwell writes. "Shough put together a promising half-season as a rookie starter, but teams would need to see a full campaign from the soon-to-be-27-year-old before they would be willing to send a first-round pick to the Saints."
The Saints drafted Shough with a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and while he was solid his rookie season, proving that the decision to take him was a smart one, he's still a step below a first-round value.
He's made just nine starts, which isn't a lot. It's enough to feel confident in handing him the keys for the 2026 season to see if he has what it takes to be a franchise guy, but it's not enough to spend a first-round pick to acquire him.
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Last year, Shough went 5-4 during his nine starts with a 67.6% completion percentage with 2,,384 yards passing with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.
As a runner, he had 186 yards on 45 attempts with three touchdowns scored. It was a solid rookie season, but there's still some uncertainty about his game.
One more season of that level of play, and Shough's probably worth at least a first-rounder. But if he thrives in 2026 and leads the Saints to the playoffs, he might be worth a couple of first-round picks.
Shough was promising in his rookie season, but Barnwell isn't ready to give him first-round value just yet. Shough still needs to prove himself, which he'll have a good chance to do this upcoming 2026 season.
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