Feb. 4, 2026, 11:56 a.m. CT

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough played his way from the second round to second overall in ESPN’s do over- of the 2025 NFL draft. Knowing what we know now, he wouldn’t be picked after Jaxson Dart in a do-over, but both quarterbacks have a case to be picked at the top of the board. Shough’s command from the pocket and success in tough circumstances won over a lot of doubters. That he played well enough to keep his team’s coaching staff together after the season says a lot, too.

ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters made the picks for their teams, with Cleveland Browns writer Daniel Oyefusi making the case to take Shough second overall:

The Browns find themselves in a similar spot after failing to hit on either quarterback — Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — they drafted. Shough’s sample size (nine starts) is still small, and there’s no knowing how he would have performed with Cleveland’s supporting cast. But he impressed in less-than-ideal circumstances in New Orleans.

Katherine Terrell, ESPN’s reporter on the Saints beat, stayed the course at ninth overall and stuck with left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., writing that “With Shough already off the board, the Saints stick with their original first-round pick as a foundational player. Since they didn’t land Shough, the Saints would likely aim to pick a QB in the 2026 draft, and they would need someone to protect him.”

But things got interesting in Round 2. Picking for the Saints again at No. 40, and with Shough no longer an option, Terrell went with running back Cam Skattebo. Here’s why:

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The Saints could take safety Jonas Sanker here and be perfectly happy after he ended up a season-long starter. But the Saints need to start building their offense up again. Alvin Kamara is 30 and has missed the end of the past two seasons due to injury. Skattebo could have been a fun part of coach Kellen Moore’s offense, which was thin on playmakers by the end of this season.

Skattebo looked like an early contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year if not for an unlucky ankle injury, and he’d have been a big upgrade to the Saints’ depth chart at running back. That position remains a big need for them and New Orleans could still address running back in the 2026 draft even if they add someone else in free agency. They need more juice and fresh legs in the backfield.

But there’s one more intriguing Saints player who went in the two rounds of this mock draft. Fourt-round cornerback Quincy Riley snuck into the end of Round 2, with Buffalo Bills writer Alaina Getzenberg taking him at No. 62 overall:

Cornerback was certainly a significant need for this defense. The Bills have also recently shown a willingness to go for smaller cornerbacks; Riley fits the bill for at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds. He offers upside for future seasons after finishing with eight passes defensed in 2025 (second most by a rookie).

Riley is someone the Saints could lean on even more heavily in 2026 if Alontae Taylor walks away in free agency, but his rookie tape has more good moments than bad, which is why other teams would be taking him this highly if they had the chance. New Orleans drafted well in 2025. Now they need to repeat that feat in 2026. As we’ve seen before, that’s easier said than done.