Canal Street Chronicles
Rewinding to these Saints rookies best plays during their senior year of college.
EA College Football 25 was a huge success after its release in 2024, granting the new college football franchise a chance at a sequel. In celebration of the highly anticipated release of EA College Football 26 on July 10th, here’s a thread of the 2025 New Orleans Saints draft class’s best plays in their final years of collegiate ball.
Tyler Shough’s arm talent is what caught the eyes of all NFL front offices, but it’s his clutchness and anticipation that showed in his best play from the 2024 season. In a tied 17-17 game with Georgia Tech, Shough hit wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks in stride on a deep pass while being interfered with. The impressive touchdown would give the Cardinals the lead, which they would keep to win the game.
Sixth-round selection running back Devin Neal has been the epitome of consistency during his college career. Despite the three straight 1,000-yard seasons, Neal likely needed a push to get on NFL radars. Neal answered the call during the team’s second-to-last game of the season against the fan favorite Colorado Buffalos. The powerback accumulated a total of 287 yards and 4 touchdowns and opened up the scoring in the game with a 51-yard reception for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Jonas Sanker was a surprise pick to many fans. Some haven't heard of the former Virginia Cavaliers safety, while others thought the Saints took him too early. Despite the skepticism, Sanker produced throughout the 2024 season, racking up 98 tackles, 8.5 TFL, and 2 sacks in an impressive senior year. However, Sanker’s best play of the year came in the secondary as the 6-foot defensive back snatched Anthony Colandrea's pass out of the air and took the ball 45 yards to help his offense get in scoring position and eventually upset No. 18-ranked Pitt.
Similar to teammate Tyler Shough’s best play of the 2024 season, cornerback Quincy Riley also had his best play against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Riley would open up scoring for the Louisville Cardinals with an excellent read on quarterback Haynes King’s lateral attempt and bat the ball into the endzone, where a teammate would recover it for a touchdown.
The Saints snatched falling defensive end Fadil Diggs with the 257th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. New Orleans desperately needs a consistent and young pass-rushing attack and may have found a gem in Diggs. The best play of the 2024 season for the seventh-round selection came against the first pick of the draft, Cam Ward, and the No. 6th-ranked Miami Hurricanes. Diggs blew by Miami’s left tackle quickly and sacked Ward on a 2nd and 17 in a tied 28-28 game late in the third quarter. Syracuse would eventually upset the powerhouse Hurricanes and ruin their chances at an appearance in the ACC championship game.
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