There might be books written in the future about the New Orleans Saints selecting Tyler Shough as the third quarterback taken in the draft with the 40th overall pick. For most people, the move ranged from somewhere between puzzling to impossible.
However, their move in the third round might have been even more of a shock. For one analyst, it turned out to be one of the worst moves made in the entirety of Day 2. Where did they go wrong? Let’s break it down.
Did New Orleans Saints Misfire With Vernon Broughton?
With the 71st pick, the Saints decided to bolster their defensive front in the form of Vernon Broughton out of Texas. However, the folks at PFSN weren’t a fan of the move in the slightest, giving New Orleans a D grade for their choice.
To put it in perspective, their Jonas Sanker pick at 93 and Shough at 40 earned a B- and B, respectively. While the defensive line did need some help in Louisiana, adding Broughton, particularly, was the shocking part.
“Vernon Broughton was a bit of a head-scratching pick, as most had him pegged as a Day 3 prospect.” And it wasn’t like the skepticism was without merit.
“The Texas defensive tackle (6’5”, 311 pounds) played five seasons in college, with four of his 6.5 sacks coming in 2024. He has enough first-step quickness to potentially make hay as a 3-technique but doesn’t have enough power to consistently shed blockers.”
While he does have some pass-rush upside, it still needs quite a lot of work before it can become a legit weapon in the Saints’ arsenal. Instead, a name like Jamaree Caldwell was still on the board, going 15 picks later to the Los Angeles Chargers.
There is, however, the rest of the draft to consider. With their three other selections, the Saints have had a good, if not spectacular, outing in Green Bay. Perhaps, there is a chance they see something in the Longhorns alum that justifies his positioning.
With Derek Carr potentially out for the year entirely and Shough not tracking as a franchise-altering quarterback, there is a real possibility that New Orleans is building a roster for the future, with their franchise quarterback coming in the next few drafts.
Keeping that in mind, a developmental trajectory for Broughton might not be a complete miss if he can grow into a steady contributor over the coming years. Still, the exclusive Day 2 mock draft from PFSN had a different defensive lineman in mind for the Saints at 71 – Jordan Burch.
Joining the edge rush, Ian Cummings believed, “Burch fits Mickey Loomis’ traditional profile at EDGE with his size, mass, and length. He also has the fleet-footed athleticism and build-up explosion to fit either as a stand-up EDGE or a 3-point rusher in Brandon Staley’s scheme.”