Shedeur Sanders continues to slide — once seen as a potential top-10 pick, he wasn’t even one of the first three quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The New Orleans Saints needed to find a quarterback for the future, and many thought Sanders would be next off the board after his first-round fall.
Instead, the Saints went in a different direction, selecting Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough at No. 40 overall. Former NFL linebacker Emmanuel Acho made it clear that he disagreed with the Saints’ decision.
Emmanuel Acho Trashes the Saints’ Decision
Acho was stunned that the Saints chose Shough over Sanders. He didn’t agree with the logic of picking the 25-year-old Shough over Sanders, who is younger and viewed by many as having a higher ceiling.
“Tyler Shough drafted ahead of Shedeur Sanders????? Nope. Nope. Nope. Hold on, I had to stop my workout for this one!” said Acho.
Tyler Shough drafted ahead of Shedeur Sanders????? Nope. Nope. Nope.
Hold on, I had to stop my workout for this one! 😳 pic.twitter.com/BNiY4xSBYS
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 25, 2025
Acho literally stopped mid-workout to react to the Saints’ pick, visibly confused by the choice. While he said he respects Shough’s game and isn’t “hating” on him, Acho made it clear he believes Sanders will be the better NFL quarterback based on pure upside.
“When I think about Tyler Shough and I think about Shedeur Sanders. Tyler Shough is not better than Shedeur Sanders. He’s just not,” Acho said.
Sanders’ unexpected draft fall has become one of the biggest stories of the draft so far, with fewer and fewer landing spots left as other teams snap up quarterbacks.
When comparing Sanders and Shough statistically, Sanders had the stronger 2024 season. He threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns, completing 74% of his passes, and won the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given to the top upperclassman quarterback in college football. He also led Colorado to nine wins and a bowl appearance after a rough 2023 season.
Shough had a solid 2024 but didn’t match Sanders’ numbers. He threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns, completing 62.7% of his passes. One area where Shough stood out, however, was ball security: he was sacked just 14 times and threw six interceptions, compared to Sanders’ 42 sacks and 10 interceptions.
Shough also brings six years of college experience compared to Sanders’ four. The Saints saw something they liked in Shough — enough to pick him over Sanders in the second round.
But for Acho and plenty of others, it’s a move that’s hard to understand as Sanders continues to tumble down the draft board.