By Ross Jackson
While it can be easier to tear draft prospects down for where they struggle, typically the best way to go about evaluating young players is to find and foster what it is that makes them special.
Focusing on areas where a player is great helps that player grow and develop. That will be the approach of the New Orleans Saints when it comes to rookie quarterback Tyler Shough.
The former Louisville Cardinal has a lot of good in his game. He has an NFL arm, NFL size (6-foot-5, 219 pounds), athleticism and 4.63 speed to boot.
Tyler Shough runs a 4.64u on his second try and is FIRED UP 🗣️
📺: #NFLCombine on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Z0qqr2dq9J— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2025
For head coach Kellen Moore, it’s what he can do as a processor that helps to separate him from the pack.
“He had a lot of tools at the line of scrimmage,” Moore said of his rookie quarterback. “He had the ability to get in and out of plays. Some of those intangible things, I think, are very valuable. So he has experience doing that, you know, checking and making decisions there at the line of scrimmage. So I think that’s hugely valuable.”
What a quarterback can do before the snap is sometimes hard to pick up on film. When a viewer isn’t familiar with the scheme, it becomes challenging to quantify what’s being achieved by just watching play calls and not being able to hear or decipher calls and checks.
For Moore, a former NFL quarterback himself, this is a staple for his offense’s execution.
“It’s always something that I’ve felt is a very valuable piece,” Moore said of trusting a signal caller to make checks and changes at the line. “Pretty much everywhere I’ve been, as a player or coach it’s always been important to embrace. The quarterback has the tools and they have the best view at the line of scrimmage. So giving them the tools to make certain decisions, making little adjustments here and there … Allows you to put yourself in the best position to be successful.”
Beyond what Shough can do at the line of scrimmage, his exposure to certain concepts at Louisville is a plus as well. No team in 2024 ran more RPO attempts than the Philadelphia Eagles, where Moore was last an offensive playcaller. In fact, the Eagles were the only team to top 200 such play calls. The team’s 199 RPO rushes topped the second-place team (Green Bay Packers) by more than 100.
Shough has exposure to exactly that concept thanks to his time in Louisville’s offense.
“He’s played in the action game and he’s played in the quick game,” Moore said. “I thought they had a cool blend. They play in the RPO and fall out game, but then they take their shots. And he can attack all levels of the game, and he’s done all of those. So, I think he’s done a lot of things, which is a great advantage.”
