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All signs are pointing to the Tennessee Titans selecting Cam Ward with the first pick in the 2025 Draft. It’s been a long road for Ward to get to this point, going from FCS Incarnate Word, to Washington State and finally ending up at Miami. He’s shown consistent improvement from year to year and has the physical tools to warrant a high draft pick. However the question remains, will his nonchalant play style and gunslinging tendencies translate to the NFL, or will the adjustment be too much for him to handle?
Height: 6’2’’, Weight: 219, Hands: 9’’
The first thing that stands out about Cam Ward is the ruthless efficiency with which he operates Miami’s RPO heavy offense. He’s a master at using different arm angles to fit throws around defenders and into tight windows. Even if Ward isn’t lauded as the most accurate quarterback in this class, he has an excellent understanding of where to place the football based on the positioning of defenders. If leading his receiver would result in a big hit, he almost always throws the ball slightly behind the receiver, giving them a better chance to make the play. He’s also exceptional at throwing the ball with anticipation, a skill that is absolutely necessary in the NFL. His anticipation, combined with his arm strength and quick release, means the time between him seeing a play develop, and the ball getting to his receiver, is as quick as it gets.
When throwing the ball downfield, Ward’s accuracy leaves a little to be desired considering his arm talent. Every throw you would ever want is on his tape at least once, but far too often he will lead his receiver out of bounds or overthrow them on a go route. Perhaps this can be ironed out with more consistent footwork, but that remains to be seen.
Ward reads opposing defenses well and makes very good decisions when he plays within structure. He’s rarely caught off guard by defensive rotations, and is keenly aware of deeper defenders who could cut off the route he’s targeting. There are a few instances where he doesn’t see a defender who's able to peel off another assignment and make a play on the ball, but this happens occasionally to almost everyone.
Ward’s pocket awareness is also a strength of his game. He senses pressure both from up the middle and on the edge very well. He’s adept at using incremental movements to avoid pressure while staying in the middle of the pocket. He has such a calmness in the pocket, that it actually borders on carelessness. When he escapes the pocket, he can make some jaw dropping throws, and he has a keen sense of exactly how fast he needs to be moving to avoid sacks. However, there are some head-scratching decisions where he throws the ball across his body into a crowd, or takes terrible sacks in the worst moment. I have serious questions about whether this is something he’ll just be able to turn off in the NFL.
The biggest adjustment for Ward in the NFL will be with his drops. Miami’s offense does not have designated drops for plays, and Ward is completely freelancing. This will absolutely not be the case in the NFL, and it can be incredibly difficult to learn that timing completely from scratch, while also learning all the other complexities of an NFL playbook. Because of this, Ward could seriously struggle if he’s thrust into a starting job right away (which he almost certainly will). That’s not to say he won’t be able to learn, but with how impatient the NFL can be, he might not learn before his team is drafting his replacement.
Overall there is a ton to like with Ward, but he clearly has his issues. In a perfect world, he would sit on the bench for at least half a season while he acclimates to the NFL, but that seems very unlikely. The hope is that Ward has the capacity to play within structure and can learn enough on the job to stay afloat while avoiding picking up bad habits. If this happens, he could be a franchise quarterback.
Evaluators will compare Cam Ward to anyone from Patrick Mahomes, to Caleb Williams or Zach Wilson. Purely in terms of playstyle, Ward is similar to Mahomes and Williams, however he lacks the technical acumen that elite prospects often have. He’s certainly further along than Zach Wilson, who played in such a dumbed down offense, it was hard to imagine him immediately playing in the NFL. In reality, Ward is probably somewhere between Wilson and Williams on this spectrum of player.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: QB Cam Ward Scouting Report
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Measurables
Height: 6’2’’, Weight: 219, Hands: 9’’
Scouting Overview
The first thing that stands out about Cam Ward is the ruthless efficiency with which he operates Miami’s RPO heavy offense. He’s a master at using different arm angles to fit throws around defenders and into tight windows. Even if Ward isn’t lauded as the most accurate quarterback in this class, he has an excellent understanding of where to place the football based on the positioning of defenders. If leading his receiver would result in a big hit, he almost always throws the ball slightly behind the receiver, giving them a better chance to make the play. He’s also exceptional at throwing the ball with anticipation, a skill that is absolutely necessary in the NFL. His anticipation, combined with his arm strength and quick release, means the time between him seeing a play develop, and the ball getting to his receiver, is as quick as it gets.
When throwing the ball downfield, Ward’s accuracy leaves a little to be desired considering his arm talent. Every throw you would ever want is on his tape at least once, but far too often he will lead his receiver out of bounds or overthrow them on a go route. Perhaps this can be ironed out with more consistent footwork, but that remains to be seen.
Ward reads opposing defenses well and makes very good decisions when he plays within structure. He’s rarely caught off guard by defensive rotations, and is keenly aware of deeper defenders who could cut off the route he’s targeting. There are a few instances where he doesn’t see a defender who's able to peel off another assignment and make a play on the ball, but this happens occasionally to almost everyone.
Ward’s pocket awareness is also a strength of his game. He senses pressure both from up the middle and on the edge very well. He’s adept at using incremental movements to avoid pressure while staying in the middle of the pocket. He has such a calmness in the pocket, that it actually borders on carelessness. When he escapes the pocket, he can make some jaw dropping throws, and he has a keen sense of exactly how fast he needs to be moving to avoid sacks. However, there are some head-scratching decisions where he throws the ball across his body into a crowd, or takes terrible sacks in the worst moment. I have serious questions about whether this is something he’ll just be able to turn off in the NFL.
The biggest adjustment for Ward in the NFL will be with his drops. Miami’s offense does not have designated drops for plays, and Ward is completely freelancing. This will absolutely not be the case in the NFL, and it can be incredibly difficult to learn that timing completely from scratch, while also learning all the other complexities of an NFL playbook. Because of this, Ward could seriously struggle if he’s thrust into a starting job right away (which he almost certainly will). That’s not to say he won’t be able to learn, but with how impatient the NFL can be, he might not learn before his team is drafting his replacement.
Overall there is a ton to like with Ward, but he clearly has his issues. In a perfect world, he would sit on the bench for at least half a season while he acclimates to the NFL, but that seems very unlikely. The hope is that Ward has the capacity to play within structure and can learn enough on the job to stay afloat while avoiding picking up bad habits. If this happens, he could be a franchise quarterback.
Player Comparison
Evaluators will compare Cam Ward to anyone from Patrick Mahomes, to Caleb Williams or Zach Wilson. Purely in terms of playstyle, Ward is similar to Mahomes and Williams, however he lacks the technical acumen that elite prospects often have. He’s certainly further along than Zach Wilson, who played in such a dumbed down offense, it was hard to imagine him immediately playing in the NFL. In reality, Ward is probably somewhere between Wilson and Williams on this spectrum of player.
Final Grade: Top 15
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: QB Cam Ward Scouting Report
Continue reading...
