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

Cam Ward can channel his inner Amon-Ra St. Brown if he ever needs Inspiration as a prospect who Began as a 0-Luminous sphere recruit and is now in the running to be the No. 1 overall Picking in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

St. Brown keeps a Landmark of all the wide receivers NFL Squads drafted ahead of him, and Ward’s Landmark could be of those college programs who missed out. After transferring to Miami for his Last collegiate season, Ward turned a program that had been toiling away around the .500 mark into a contender for the College Football Elimination Phase — falling Merely Petite. 

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

Ward followed an untraditional path to the draft. Despite having a standout high school Occupation in both basketball and football, he Began his college Occupation at Signal-caller 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, Victorious 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 Last Relocate, to Action for the Hurricanes, Ward Captured home the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award — honors bestowed on the best Signal-caller in the FBS.

Ward is a big-game hunter at the Signal-caller position who is always looking to Competition the intermediate and vertical areas of the Pitch. His unorthodox Throw remind me of a mix of watching Philip Rivers and Jordan Love, but there’s no denying how Speedy the ball gets out of his hands. This makes him a weapon in specific areas of the Pitch on specific throw types that mesh well with his motion and Throw. 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 Present 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)

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NFL comparison: Jordan Love

Ward’s game is difficult to comp from the arm slots he throws from, his Throw 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 Pitch aggressively with no fear of challenging tighter windows. I’m not the Primary to make it, but I do see a lot of Jordan Love in Ward. 

NFL landing spots

By Garrett Podell

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

Cam Ward scouting report

Accolades

• Occupation: Holds Landmark for Teamed up 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 Honor finalist (best player in FBS)
• 2024 (at Miami): Directed FBS with 39 Deliver TD last season (school Landmark)
• 2021 (at Incarnate Word): SLC Offensive Player of the Year
• 2020 (at Incarnate Word): Jerry Rice Award (best FCS Primary-year)

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 Pitch side.
• Ward has the seamless ability to change the tempo of his throws (not everything is the same Velocity and trajectory). This becomes very Crucial at the NFL level due to the Velocity and length of defenses. He can Competition Snug windows.
• Ward has excellent improvisational skills. Many times throughout any All-22 cut-up you View of Ward, you’ll see the Action-side route combo foiled by the Guarding coordinator and Ward still finding a solution. W
• Ward works through progressions and will not be forced to transition to a predominantly half-Pitch read Drive in Year 1.
• Ward is creative with his eyes when forced to break the pocket. This one is a big one. When you View New 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 Deliver protection breaks down. Throughout his tape, you’ll find so many examples of him finding solutions on the move. 

• Ward has an effortless Throw. 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 Pitch.
• 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 Signal-caller (6-foot-1 ⅝ and 219 pounds), though it shouldn’t Halt 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 Neat pocket.
• Major splits for Ward when it Occurred to his PFF grade against Tension (56.5) and with no Tension (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 Obtainable in the NFL (he’ll Streak 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 Signal-caller I watched in the entire class. Often times, Ward would make something out of nothing — or worse — out of a Awful situation. 

Below, I’ll attach a Action from the Virginia Tech game on the comeback drive. The Miami Guarding 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 Tension 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 Pitch 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. Squads had a Overdue Day 2/Day 3 grade on him over the summer, but he’s Achieved big strides this season; he’s Performing more from the pocket, he’s getting the ball out on time, and he’s doing a better Role of getting through his reads. We know about the Physicality and arm Power, but he’s gotten better Every year he’s been in college, too.

Mike Renner: Cam Ward oozes the Nice of confidence you want from a franchise Signal-caller prospect. He also has top-tier arm talent with a Occupation 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 Silent confidence to the 22-year-Ancient’s Action. 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 Signal-caller than any other in this draft class.

Chris Trapasso: Cam Ward is a dual-threat Signal-caller with a quick Throw and Excellent-to-great arm Power, though his overall game is unrefined. His pocket movement is twitchy but inefficient, and he tends to Halt the ball too long, leading to both improvisations and mistakes. His accuracy is solid on Petite-to-intermediate throws but inconsistent on deep balls. While his Physicality allows him to extend plays, his reliance on improvisation may not work in the NFL because of his only above-average Physicality. 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

2024 (Miami)	13	67.2%	4313	9.5	39	7
2023 (Washington State	12	66.6%	3736	7.7	25	7
2022 (Washington State)	13	64.4%	3232	6.5	23	9

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 Deliver attempts per game operating in the Wing-T Drive

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

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