Cam Ward is a familiar name for those who follow the NFL draft, even if it comes from a twist. Ward played the last two years at Washington State and the two years prior to that at FCS-level Incarnate Word, and he initially applied for entry into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ward then changed his mind and decided to transfer to Miami, immediately taking over as the top QB for the Hurricanes in 2024. He’s certainly got the prolific passing stats to attract prominent preseason draft attention; Ward beings over 14,000 passing yards and 119 career touchdown passes to Miami to start his final season of eligibility.
Before he withdrew from the 2024 draft, the 6-foot-2 Ward was generally projected in the 75-125 overall range, though that’s tough to ascertain. Some of the uncertainty comes from how complex of a prospect Ward is as an NFL projection.
Ward comes from the high-volume, point-and-shoot shotgun spread offense. Yet he has shown traits that transcend the system. One of the first things that jumps out when watching Ward is his patience in making sure his read is right. It’s a subtlety that serves him well.
He can do that because Ward has faith in his right arm to get the ball into the window. A consistent, quick release and a strong exit velocity allow Ward to thread some needles, like this one against a good Washington defense:
While not always perfect, Ward has shown he can feather a ball with exceptional touch and accuracy, too. This throw against Oregon might be my favorite play from Ward in 2023. It’s very reminiscent of the type of play that made Andrew Luck an NFL star:
Ward escapes initial pressure very well and he consistently keeps his eyes down the field — looking to make the big throw. There might not be a more elusive QB in tight quarters in recent memory. There is definitely some college-era Russell Wilson to Ward’s game in that regard.
One big area for improvement would be better anticipation of the pressure. He often doesn’t feel it until it’s too late. Ward does have some running ability, though he too often doesn’t decide to commit to the run until it’s too late.
That leads to another area where Ward can help himself in terms of draft stock. There’s a fine line between being cautiously patient and holding the ball too long. Ward doesn’t yet have a great feel for where that line is. It will be very interesting to see how he handles that in a new, different style of offense at Miami.
The arm talent is impressive, as is the elusiveness. But there are definitely questions to answer in 2025. Ward hasn’t ever really played in anything that resembles a pro-style offense, however; he’s been in the shotgun spread system for four years in college after operating a Wing-T in high school.
Ward is definitely going to be one of the most intriguing 2025 QB prospects. How he plays in Miami in his fifth year of starting in college, at his third college no less, will hopefully clear up a lot of the mystery that shrouded his draft projection when he was still in the 2024 NFL Draft.
