Following a fourth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting, Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward is more than ready for the next chapter of his career.
The widely projected top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is coming off an excellent season that saw Miami narrowly miss a chance at the College Football Playoffs. Plenty of NFL scouts, management, and former members around the league believe that Ward has all the tools to translate well in the pros.
Former Jets GM Candidate Lauds Cam Ward as a Prospect
Former NFL executive and current ESPN broadcaster Louis Riddick gave his thoughts on the upcoming draft and some of its best prospects. Like many others, he was not shy about expressing his excitement toward Ward.
When @LRiddickESPN sees something special in a QB prospect — like he does with Cam Ward — you should take notice. pic.twitter.com/Vq08sa8CkE
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 20, 2025
During this segment of ESPN’s “First Take,” Riddick discussed how Ward has grown over the years and that he is more than ready for the NFL. “This guy is the ultimate leader,” Riddick said. “He plays with a gigantic-sized boulder on his shoulder; it’s not a chip, it’s a boulder.”
Riddick later went on to compare Ward with this year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winner, Jayden Daniels. The comparison stems from the work ethic that each player brings. Members of the Washington Commanders’ club raved about Daniels showing up early in the morning and being the last person to leave. Riddick believes that Ward has that same strong-minded mentality.
Where Will Ward Go in the 2025 NFL Draft?
It is widely believed that Ward will land inside the top five selections of this year’s NFL Draft. Justin Lewis has the elite prospect going second to the Cleveland Browns in his most recent 2025 NFL mock draft on PFSN. This places the Miami QB behind just edge rusher Abdul Carter out of Penn State.
PFSN’s Dalton Miller gave an in-depth look at what makes Ward so special yet still cautionary in his strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths
- Explosive and shifty in the pocket and open field
- Really good deep ball feel
- Incredibly arm elasticity
- Velocity from multiple arm slots and lower body bases
- Impressive natural accuracy
- Middle-of-field vision has improved drastically
- Pass-first creator who works hard to maintain downfield eyes while on the hoof
- Sturdy frame that’s difficult to wrangle without firm, square contact
- Improved changeup to layer throws over linebackers and underneath safeties
- Velocity to threaten “honey hole” along the sideline versus Cover 2 safeties
- Manipulative sack avoider
Weaknesses
- Tortoise-level internal clock
- Uninspiring pressure-to-sack rate
- Poor ball security inside the pocket
- Cul-de-sac playmaking style leads to some truly horrific decisions
- Struggles to operate on an NFL timeline
- Scattershot dropback footwork makes for out-of-sync reps, disallowing rhythm on timing throws
- Lack of cognitive development/timing/decision-making dating back to Incarnate Word days
- Unimpressive quick-game operation
- Inconsistent eye manipulation to trick zone-eyed defensive backs
- Chaos creator
READ MORE: Cam Ward NFL Draft Hub — Scouting Report, Player Profile, Projection, and More
It is merely impossible to accurately predict whether or not the 220-pound QB will pan out. However, with a mixed bag of high praise and understandable doubt, where Ward falls is entirely up to interpretation.