Saints Quarterback Ranking According To Pro Football Focus

Where Tyler Shough and the Saints quarterbacks stand in the NFL rankings.

The New Orleans Saints will have a legitimate starting quarterback competition for the first time in over 25 years. However, there are some that don't have confidence in the players who will be competing for that starting role.  

Rookie second-round choice Tyler Shough is the favorite. His primary competition is likely Spencer Rattler, a fifth-round pick last season. Jake Haener and even undrafted rookie Hunter Dekkers could even be a factor in who wins the job.

Pro Football Focus is among those with no confidence in the New Orleans quarterback situation. In an article for PFF earlier this week, writer John Kosko ranked each (projected) starting quarterback in the NFL for this coming year.

Kosko projected the Saints starter to be Tyler Shough. He ranked Shough and the Saints at 32nd, last in the league. 

''One of the most surprising developments of the 2025 NFL Draft was Tyler Shough being the third quarterback off the board. The 26-year-old rookie spent seven years in college and now enters a wide-open competition in New Orleans following Derek Carr’s retirement. Between Shough, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, the Saints’ quarterback room is arguably the weakest in the league. Regardless of who starts, expectations are low, though fans can at least hope Shough delivers a few highlight-reel moments.''

John Kosko and PFF broke down the 32 projected starters into six tiers. The Saints were in Tier 6 - ''Low-end starters and not long-term options''

Shough and New Orleans were among four included in this group. 

29. Joe Flacco (Browns)

30. Anthony Richardson (Colts)

31. Mason Rudolph (Steelers)

32. Tyler Shough (Saints)

Kosko listed Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs), Joe Burrow (Bengals), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), and Josh Allen (Bills) in the Tier 1 (Elite) group. There is no viable argument for three of those four. However, the rest of the PFF rankings severely reduces the credibility of this list.

PFF listed Jalen Hurts (Eagles), Jayden Daniels (Washington), Matthew Stafford (Rams), and Justin Herbert (Chargers) in Tier 2 - High-End Starters. Little argument with those, but Houston's C.J. Stroud was listed among Tier 3, as a 'solid starter that needs more help.' Ranked above him was Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love, and Geno Smith (Really...Geno Smith???).

Rankings are subjective, and mostly reflect a personal bias in this case. Shough has yet to take a regular season snap. Neither has J.J. McCarthy (Vikings, ranked 21st) or Cam Ward (Titans - 25th). Anthony Richardson (Colts - 30th) and Michael Penix (Falcons - 23rd) have played in a combined 18 games in their careers. 

Caleb Williams (Bears - 24th) and Drake Maye (22nd - Patriots) are coming off extremely erratic rookie seasons. Sam Darnold (Seahawks - 26th) and Justin Fields (Jets - 28th) are former high first-round busts that have yet to put together a complete competent season and have played for a combined six teams in 11 combined seasons in the NFL.

Russell Wilson (Giants - 27th) and Joe Flacco (Browns - 29th) are over-the-hill veterans that may not even start for their respective teams. Mason Rudolph (Steelers - 31st) has never been able to hold on to a starting job in six NFL seasons. 

Tyler Shough has already made Saints franchise history. He's only the second quarterback to be drafted in the first or second round by the Saints in 58 years and the first since Archie Manning in 1971. He could become the first rookie quarterback to be the Saints opening day starter since Manning in 1971.

Whether Shough continues to make New Orleans history, in a positive way...only time will tell. Saints coach Kellen Moore didn't use a second round draft pick on Shough to be a short-term option. He did it because he views Shough as his potential quarterback to rebuild the Saints into a playoff hopeful.