Who doesn’t love a good underdog story? While the NFL Draft sees a ton of rags-to-riches stories to warm your hearts, rarely does a player overcome every imaginable on-field odd to solidify themselves. This year, the 2025 NFL Draft has one such player in its midst.
A former zero-star recruit coming into college, one of the widely accepted top-two quarterbacks has had an inspiring story. It has led a former NFL safety turned scouting executive to give him his stamp of approval.
Cam Ward Deserve No.1 Overall Selection Believes Louis Riddick
A decade-long career in the NFL saw Louis Riddick suit up for a multitude of teams including the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, and the Oakland Raiders after being drafted in the 1991 NFL Draft.
After retirement, he’s held scouting positions with the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles. For the latter, he was responsible for drafting franchise legends like LeSean McCoy, Brandon Graham, Nick Foles, Lane Johnson, and Fletcher Cox.
Since then, he’s taken on a role as a broadcaster and analyst. Ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft, he joined GoJo and Golic to discuss how the pieces would fall into place. However, his choice for the first pick was an immovable belief in Cam Ward.
“I’ve said all along that I think Cam should be the number one prospect and I think he’s more than deserving of being that. And I think he will be taken first overall ultimately.” For Riddick, what separates Ward from everyone else in the class are the intangibles.
“Everything that you find out when you talk to his coaches, and I’ve talked to them numerous times this year, both in Miami and the previous year out in Washington State – the guy is self-made.
“He’s a guy who built himself up from a zero-star recruit. He’s a guy who’s gone the long, hard way. So nothing’s been given, everything’s been earned, and everything that he has earned you can believe what you see.”
.@LRiddickESPN says he thinks Cam Ward is the deserving No. 1 prospect in the Draft and WILL be taken No. 1 overall.
“The guy is self-made. He's a guy who built himself up from a zero-star recruit. He's a guy who's gone the long, hard way. So nothing's been given, everything's… pic.twitter.com/3cBONtoKgB
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) March 21, 2025
That belief comes from the tangibles you do see on the field. Starting from Incarnate World to Washington State, and this past year at Miami, Ward got noticeably better each season, with his first year in Washington the lone exception.
It led to a final year tally of 4,313 yards on a 67.2% completion percentage, as he added 39 touchdowns through the air, against just seven interceptions. Additionally, his athleticism which projects well for the future also led to 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground for Ward as well.
“Because from the football intellect, football intelligence, the processing on the football field, the bringing along of other people and elevating their play, the dynamic plays [and] different arm angles, winning inside the pocket, outside the pocket, all this stuff is unique Cam Ward.”
He believes that authenticity would translate to the NFL stage seamlessly, on one condition. “It’s authentic Cam Ward. And it’s the same kind of thing you’re gonna get when you get to the NFL provided everything else around him is not just crap.”
Riddick would be extremely pleased with the latest mock draft from PFSN in that case, which has Ward indeed going first to the Tennessee Titans. But how does he shape the Titans moving forward? Hear from the man who drafted the quarterback that gave the Eagles their first Super Bowl victory.
“I think his career will be as good as you would hope it would be as a number one overall pick.”
