2025 NFL Draft: Cam Ward is a lot more than the highest QB of a vulnerable elegance. This is why

Cam Ward’s adventure to being the consensus peak quarterback on this 12 months’s draft elegance is a well-traveled one. From accepting his lone scholarship be offering out of highschool to Incarnate Phrase in San Antonio, taking part in in a wide-open offense that showcased his in the past underutilized throwing skill, to taking his skills to Pullman at Washington State after which in spite of everything South Seashore (or Miami Gardens, shut sufficient) at Miami.

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Final season used to be a whirlwind culminating in a Heisman-worthy marketing campaign on an explosive Hurricanes offense. Even together with his school profession coming to a detailed, Ward’s nomadic existence as a quarterback continues as he travels to the peak of the 2025 NFL Draft and past.

Best possible phrase to explain Cam Ward

Ingenious is the time period that I call to mind when staring at Cam Ward. He has a sidearm throwing movement and his taste of play may appear free and wild in the beginning, however Ward if truth be told has a pointy figuring out of what he’s looking to accomplish on a given play. His trail on a play, similar to his trail in soccer, can appear unorthodox; a sidearm move right here, a flat-footed chuck there, an off-platform heave over there, all whilst apparently taking part in with a center price that by no means is going above 60 BPM.

However Ward isn’t simply winging it available in the market like a pupil that didn’t learn about for a take a look at. He repeatedly assists in keeping the tip lead to thoughts after he catches the snap and is going about operating thru performs. He’s simply prepared and in a position to throw from numerous platforms and use each and every arm attitude to be had to eliminate the soccer that it simply may appear slightly untraditional.

Ward performs with an actual sense of timing in his head, whilst he fires every other trick shot previous a defender. On sooner throws just like the RPOs within the video above, he is attempting to get the ball into his teammate’s arms as temporarily as conceivable and out in entrance so they may be able to create themselves after the catch. And now and again doing it despite the fact that there’s a defender speeding proper at him. Ward is aware of he must eliminate the soccer at positive instances to maximise a play’s effectiveness, and is repeatedly looking to function inside that timespan, whether or not his toes are in a really perfect place or there’s a defender in his lap. Which will imply he finally ends up taking a look like he’s straddling a horse and his arm under parallel when throwing the soccer.

Or at different instances like a vintage quarterback firing throws over the center whilst in rhythm from the pocket.

When Ward has a blank resolution in his thoughts after the snap of the ball, he can constantly create paths to get to that resolution. Ward’s prolonged throws and scrambles will catch probably the most consideration on his highlights, however he operates with extra polish from the pocket and at an general upper degree than he might get credit score for. Ward desires to paintings from the pocket and desires to function as a thrower first. He’s going to simply modify his throwing mechanics with the intention to make it paintings. He adlibs when he must however it’s extra continuously than now not in a position to discover a sound resolution.

Ward could also be prepared to throw the soccer to all portions of the sphere, too. He’s relaxed pushing the ball on throws over the center like on seam-benders and digs, and will get to each on first reads and whilst progressing, too. Ward has the arm power to push the ball to the outdoor as nicely, the place his sense of timing, anticipation and ball placement are actually highlighted on outbreaking throws.

This is the place Ward might combat

Whilst Ward can force the ball, there’s some want for him to eliminate those footballs with as a lot anticipation as conceivable; Ward’s arm power is firmly above-average and I’d say touches on excellent. However to not that fab or elite threshold. I wish to reiterate this: His arm is greater than sufficient to continue to exist within the NFL, however it doesn’t contact on one of the crucial giant fingers we see a number of the peak avid gamers on the place (Joe Burrow however). Ward maximizes his arm together with his creativity, fast throwing movement, and early unencumber of the soccer, which might be very good qualities that lend a hand him mitigate sacks and lend a hand create much more separation for his receivers. However may just create rather less room for error for him on the subsequent degree towards larger, quicker and higher defenders.

There are some parallels to different quarterbacks that win through throwing the soccer from numerous arm slots. His throwing taste has some similarities to Lamar Jackson and Matthew Stafford, regardless that each are taller than Ward (who measured under 6-foot-2 on the mix) and each have the arm power that may be a tier (I may even say two tiers) upper than Ward’s. Nonetheless, that skill to create throwing lanes that others may now not call to mind opens up other solutions to the numerous issues a quarterback faces on a given play. Ward’s peak and throwing movement additionally don’t motive any problems within the ways in which may historically obstruct such avid gamers. Ward is in a position to function in fast recreation and over the center, and simplest had 4 throws batted down in all of 2024.

Deep throws to the outdoor additionally appear to be a space the place Ward lacks consistency. Throws will continuously tail off on him and create uncatchable or harder alternatives for his receivers. A few of this could be on account of Ward’s sidearm taste and smaller arms (9 inches on the mix) resulting in a slight loss of regulate and fade. Throws the place Ward may just force it, like posts, didn’t appear to offer him a lot problems. Simply the throws desiring extra of a mixture of contact and power. Ward completed 2024 with 42 move makes an attempt outdoor the numbers and that traveled 20 or extra air yards, however simplest finished 13 of such passes. That 31% of completion price ranked 56th out of 81 qualifying FBS quarterbacks (Ward’s luck price on such throws ranked 62nd). Ward can simply push the ball over 60 yards on deep throws, and a few of that is variance on those harder passes in addition to receiver ability, however Ward’s throws on slot fades and pass balls did generally tend to break out from his receivers a little too continuously.

This may appear to be selecting nits, however on the peak of the draft each and every facet should be checked out with potentialities. And a loss of true high-end arm power may, in principle, restrict effectiveness in chilly climate towns that function video games with excessive wind. (But in addition take into account that Ward used to be in a position to be rather a hit in Pullman, Washington!)

Steadiness Ward must strike in NFL

Ward’s distinctive upbringing in taking part in the location may create unrefined spaces, however I feel it’s an general sure on account of the way in which Ward is going about looking to accomplish a throw. It doesn’t all the time glance perfect, however Ward simply will get it accomplished. We use the time period “athlete on the place” as a (probably coded, sadly) strategy to say a participant is rapid however unrefined. Ward isn’t that rapid, however he performs quarterback like an athlete, a participant that’s versatile with their frame and their considering to contort their frame and achieve their process regardless of how. Like a shortstop turning a double play or some degree guard throwing a behind-the-back move motive there aren’t any different choices to be had. Ward isn’t going to play in a drilled, picturesque method, he’s going to take a look at and give you the chance to throw that five-yard hitch path as a result of that’s what the most efficient resolution is. Despite the fact that that implies he has to throw it with out shifting his toes and underhand.

Ward’s creativity displays up when operating outdoor the pocket as nicely. Once more, he isn’t overly rapid, however he’s in a position to win as a runner on account of his stability and play power, and he’s a top quality thrower whilst at the run. His flexibility displays up together with his skill to constantly throw as it should be whilst operating to each the best and left, too. Ward is all the time looking for performs downfield and looking to create explosives.

As a scrambler and designed runner (even if he used to be simplest used on six designed runs this previous season, most commonly briefly yardage eventualities), he’s efficient and a great deal advanced in getting down and warding off giant hits within the open box in 2024. His construct and aggregate of throwing and prolonged play creativity is what made me call to mind the overdue Titans quarterback Steve McNair as a (tremendous) high-end comparability for Ward.

Ward’s aggression and skill to stay performs alive does result in his worst moments, regardless that. On occasion Ward will attempt to throw a teammate open (take into account that anticipation he tries to play with) and the ball finally ends up going right into a comically muddy glance. Or he makes an attempt to increase the play and will get stripped; Ward had over 30 profession fumbles in school, a mixture of his free ball dealing with that should strengthen and 9-inch arms. It’s a double-edged sword to take a look at and play two steps forward however with out the overpowering arm power or velocity to assist in making issues more uncomplicated.

That is the stability Ward must strike within the NFL: adapting to the bounce in degree however whilst proceeding to play to his strengths. Ward’s skill to create and look forward to from the pocket is a amusing combine and it’s what makes him such an enchanting prospect. And his throws with anticipation result in performs like the only under, the place he throws the ball so early and simple it hits his receiver in a comfortable spot ahead of the protection may also react.

When Ward is blank, he can get the ball out precisely as meant. He additionally displays the power to move within the pocket and stay his eyes downfield to development. However like maximum younger quarterbacks, he can nonetheless paintings on quickening and shortcutting his progressions, particularly if he desires to maximise his arm.

It’s cheap to suppose that Ward will strengthen on this space, particularly given his relative loss of enjoy taking part in the location. There are occasions when Ward will get thru a development a hair overdue, looks like a path is roofed (even if it may not be) and can finally end up having to unnecessarily input advent mode.

Are you able to win as a result of of Cam Ward?

Ward’s loss of overwhelming characteristics and a couple of too many backbreaking heat-check moments stay him from stacking up amongst my peak quarterback potentialities that I’ve scouted. However I do suppose he’s an actual get for a quarterback-needy workforce. In my opinion, I preferred him as a prospect going into the overall procedure however actually began to transform extra hooked in to him as I watched extra video games from the tip of the season.

To me, he’s indubitably the highest quarterback of this draft elegance. And he’s a lot more than the backhanded praise of being the most efficient of a wrong staff of potentialities. He has the upside of being an actual franchise signal-caller, a powerful quarterback prospect that’s greater than worthy of being decided on within the peak part of the hole spherical of any form of draft elegance. (I’d price Ward as QB4 or QB5 in closing 12 months’s elegance after Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, and Jayden Daniels, with a equivalent grade to the only I had on J.J. McCarthy.)

I feel Ward has the play taste of one of those quarterback {that a} workforce wins a recreation as a result of of. With the next ground than he’s getting credit score for on account of his anticipation, figuring out of timing, advent, ball placement, and skill to win on beneath throws and within the intermediate spaces. Once more, he nonetheless has masses to proceed to scrub up like each and every younger athlete ever. And he’s going to most likely get punished early in his profession as he adapts his taste to NFL velocity and feels the restrictions of his arm power and velocity. And the Titans will have to be doing their due diligence and taking note of each and every be offering to be had, after all. However I feel the Titans will have to (and most likely will) stand pat and take Ward on the peak of the draft.

This isn’t simply because I feel Ward performs like a vitamin Coke model of Steve McNair and that makes it simple for me to examine Ward in that uniform. However for the reason that Titans (or whoever makes the No. 1 pick out) will have to be completely extremely joyful in getting Ward as a result of he has that form of needle-moving ability. He doesn’t have the elite characteristics like we may see from different top-end potentialities, however he assessments numerous bins with how he performs the location and there will have to be much more to faucet into.

And whilst you have a look at what the Titans have accomplished this offseason, they’ve created a beautiful great setting through which to drop a tender quarterback, with Dan Moore and Kevin Zeitler signed in unfastened company to shore up their offensive line and create what I feel might be a firmly top-12 (dare I say top-10) unit with Invoice Callahan operating it.

Ward performs with a relaxed demeanor, however his play creates pleasure. And he would invigorate a Titans (or any) fan base together with his play. He’s a lot more than the highest quarterback of a vulnerable elegance. He’s only a excellent prospect that has the combo of with the ability to win each out and in of construction that each one fashionable quarterbacks want.