Cam Ward NFL Draft 2025 profile: Full scouting report, pro comparison, landing spots, future outlook, more

If Cam Ward ever needs motivation as he ascends to being one of the favorites to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, all he needs to do is remember his days as a zero-star, unrecruited high school recruit. 

In the same way lower draft picks-turned-stars such as Amon-Ra St. Brown keep lists of all the players NFL teams picked ahead of them, Ward’s list could be of those college programs who missed out. After transferring to Miami for his final collegiate season, Ward turned a program that had been toiling away around the .500 mark into a contender for the College Football Playoff — falling just short. 

Individually, Ward put himself in contention for the Heisman Trophy by recording 39 touchdown passes, 9.5 yards per attempt and a 67% completion rate to just seven interceptions. He also added another four rushing touchdowns.

Ward followed an untraditional path to the draft. Despite having a standout high school career in both basketball and football, he started his college career at quarterback at Incarnate Ward. That was his only scholarship offer out of high school. It didn’t take him long to make a name for himself at the FCS level, winning the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year award. 

He parlayed that success and transferred to Washington State, where he tossed for 6,963 passing yards, 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions (while adding 13 rushing touchdowns) over a 25-game span. In his final transfer, to play for the Hurricanes, Ward took home the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award — honors bestowed on the best quarterback in the FBS.

Ward is a big-game hunter at the quarterback position who is always looking to challenge the intermediate and vertical areas of the field. His unorthodox release remind me of a mix of watching Philip Rivers and Jordan Love, but there’s no denying how fast the ball gets out of his hands. This makes him a weapon in specific areas of the field on specific throw types that mesh well with his motion and release. Ball placement can wane, specifically on the vertical plane, but these are areas that can improve as NFL coaches work to marry his footwork and upper-body mechanics. Ward is an incredibly exciting prospect with a new-age game that can translate to the current NFL.

• Age as of Week 1: 23
• Height: 6-foot-1 ⅝
• Weight: 219 pounds
• Hand size: 9 inches
• Comparable body-type to: Tyrod Taylor

CBS prospect ranking

Position: No. 1 QB | Overall: No. 8

Consensus big board ranking (via NFL Mock Draft Database): No. 1 (No. 1 QB)

To check out all of CBSSports.com’s most recent mock drafts, click here.

NFL comparison: Jordan Love

Ward’s game is difficult to comp from the arm slots he throws from, his release and his footwork in the pocket — all unique to this class and most draft classes. So let’s compare his game instead. Ward attacks all three levels of the field aggressively with no fear of challenging tighter windows. I’m not the first to make it, but I do see a lot of Jordan Love in Ward. 

NFL landing spots

By Garrett Podell

• Tennessee Titans (No. 1 pick): The Titans have put it out there that they could be open to trading the first overall pick. Sure, it’s possible, but the Titans also desperately need a new quarterback to build around because Will Levis is not that guy. They could use a dynamic creator who also takes cares of the football; his 3.3% turnover worthy throw rate, per Pro Football Focus, is way lower than what’s been going on in Nashville lately.
• Cleveland Browns (No. 2 pick): The Browns need a fresh face at the quarterback position in 2025. They went 3-14 in 2024 with quarterback Deshaun Watson tearing his Achilles in Week 7 and again during his rehab process. It’s just the latest chapter in Cleveland’s quarterback carousel. Since the Browns returned to the NFL as a franchise in 1999, they have started 40 different quarterbacks, which is the most in the league in that span. Ward could potentially break the quarterback wheel in Cleveland.
• New York Giants (No. 3 pick): The Giants have some resources to improve the roster, and they need a new quarterback to build around after cutting Daniel Jones in-season in 2024. Ward could potentially be the guy to turn things around and save head coach Brian Daboll’s job.

Cam Ward NFL Draft landing spots: Ranking five best fits for top QB prospect and potential No. 1 overall pick

Garrett Podell

Cam Ward scouting report

Accolades

• Career: Holds record for combined FCS (71) and FBS (87) passing touchdowns with 158
• 2024 (at Miami): Davey O’Brien Award winner (best college QB)
• 2024 (at Miami): Manning Award winner (best college QB)
• 2024 (at Miami): ACC Offensive Player of the Year
• 2024 (at Miami): Heisman Trophy finalist (best player in FBS)
• 2024 (at Miami): Led FBS with 39 pass TD last season (school record)
• 2021 (at Incarnate Word): SLC Offensive Player of the Year
• 2020 (at Incarnate Word): Jerry Rice Award (best FCS freshman)

Strengths

• The defining trait for me when it comes to how I project Ward’s game translating to the next level is his ability to change touch, trajectory and pace in the red zone. He can “drop it in the bucket,” even to the field side.
• Ward has the seamless ability to change the tempo of his throws (not everything is the same speed and trajectory). This becomes very important at the NFL level due to the speed and length of defenses. He can challenge tight windows.
• Ward has excellent improvisational skills. Multiple times throughout any All-22 cut-up you watch of Ward, you’ll see the play-side route combo foiled by the defensive coordinator and Ward still finding a solution. W
• Ward works through progressions and will not be forced to transition to a predominantly half-field read offense in Year 1.
• Ward is creative with his eyes when forced to break the pocket. This one is a big one. When you watch young NFL quarterbacks struggling, a lot of the time you’ll see their eyes drop when they break the pocket. Ward is always hunting for a solution with his arm when the pass protection breaks down. Throughout his tape, you’ll find so many examples of him finding solutions on the move. 

• Ward has an effortless release. It’s quick and efficient, and he doesn’t get the ball batted down at the line of scrimmage often.
• Ward’s ball placement can be erratic, but on his best throws, he places the ball in a position for the receiver to maximize his yards after the catch. 
• Ward can make all the throws to all three levels of the field.
• Velocity is not an issue for Ward, including when he is forced to throw off-platform. He doesn’t need to have a balanced base to get the ball to his intended target.
• He already shows signs of anticipatory throwing that can translate to the next level against zone coverage.

Concerns

• Not the ideal frame for a quarterback (6-foot-1 ⅝ and 219 pounds), though it shouldn’t hold him back.
• Ward’s ball placement wanes on the vertical plane — he misses throws in the deep half even at times when throwing from a balanced base and clean pocket.
• Major splits for Ward when it came to his PFF grade against pressure (56.5) and with no pressure (94.1)
• Ward’s footwork can improve both in terms of pocket movement but also when delivering the football.
• Ward will sometimes look to escape and take liberties that won’t be available in the NFL (he’ll run into sacks).

Bottom line

What stood out more than anything on Ward’s tape was that he answered more big moments with a solution than any quarterback I watched in the entire class. Often times, Ward would make something out of nothing — or worse — out of a bad situation. 

Below, I’ll attach a play from the Virginia Tech game on the comeback drive. The Miami defense failed Ward often and he still brought them back. Ward will take his lumps at the next level and need to improve his footwork, how he handles pressure and his ball placement on the vertical plane. At the same time, he should immediately be a playmaker at the NFL level in the intermediate areas of the field both inside and outside the numbers.

What other draft experts say about Ward

Ryan Wilson: Cam Ward would’ve likely been no better than QB5 in last year’s draft class, but he’s QB1 in 2024. Teams had a late Day 2/Day 3 grade on him over the summer, but he’s made big strides this season; he’s playing more from the pocket, he’s getting the ball out on time, and he’s doing a better job of getting through his reads. We know about the athleticism and arm strength, but he’s gotten better each year he’s been in college, too.

Mike Renner: Cam Ward oozes the kind of confidence you want from a franchise quarterback prospect. He also has top-tier arm talent with a career trajectory firmly pointed towards the ceiling. He may not be the same caliber of prospect we saw at the top of last year’s class, but he’s no less talented.

Josh Edwards: Ward went from Incarnate Word to Washington State and showed he belonged. He willed Miami to some big victories in 2024. There is a quiet confidence to the 22-year-old’s play. He is a capable runner and makes difficult throws from a variety of arm angles. The decision-making must continue to improve, but I am more comfortable projecting him to be an above-average NFL quarterback than any other in this draft class.

Chris Trapasso: Cam Ward is a dual-threat quarterback with a quick release and good-to-great arm strength, though his overall game is unrefined. His pocket movement is twitchy but inefficient, and he tends to hold the ball too long, leading to both improvisations and mistakes. His accuracy is solid on short-to-intermediate throws but inconsistent on deep balls. While his athleticism allows him to extend plays, his reliance on improvisation may not work in the NFL because of his only above-average athleticism. Ward’s growth as a processor offers upside, but his success will depend on improving his footwork and becoming a more structured pocket passer.

Cam Ward college stats

Cam Ward 247Sports profile

High school: Columbia (West Columbia, Texas)
Class: 2020
Composite rating: Zero stars (Incarnate Word only scholarship offer)

High school notes: Only threw 12 pass attempts per game operating in the Wing-T offense

Check out Cam Ward’s full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here. 

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.