Cam Ward NFL Draft 2025: Scouting Report for Miami QB
HEIGHT: 6'2"
WEIGHT: 219
HAND: 9"
ARM: 30⅝"
WINGSPAN: 75¾"
POSITIVES
— A natural and easy thrower of the football.
— Phenomenal playmaker and improviser with the football.
— Command of offense, makes pre-snap protection calls and checks.
— Arm flexibility to throw with multiple arm slots/angles.
— Outstanding arm talent; powers the football to his intended targets.
NEGATIVES
— Protecting the football and limiting turnover-worthy plays.
— Limiting hero ball tendencies and taking what the defenses give him.
— Improving his pre-determined pre-snap reads and decisions.
— Throwing with more anticipation and timing with his wide receivers' breaks.
NOTES
— Born May 25, 2002
— Unranked recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports
— Two-sport HS athlete (Football & Basketball)
— NFL pedigree in family bloodlines, two relatives w/NFL experience (Quandre Diggs & Quentin Jammer)
— 2024:Heisman Trophy finalist; First-Team All-ACC; ACC Offensive Player of the Year; ACC Player of the Year; NCAA All-America First Team; Davey O’Brien Award winner
— 2021: FCS All-America Second Team; Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year
OVERALL
Cam Ward is one of the nation's most talented and natural passers.
Beginning with arm talent, Ward can make everything needed at the next level. He can access the short, intermediate, and deep portions of the defense with little restrictions. The ball pops off his hands when releasing it down the field. Ward does a great job toggling between velocity and touch based on throwing trajectory and distance. He can fire the ball past a defender's earhole and on the receiver's facemask with immense velocity when necessary.
Ward is an accurate full-field passer. He layers passes with precise touch in the middle of the field over underneath defenders. With his quick release and accuracy, Ward is effective in the quick passing game when it's called. He has a flexible arm to throw from multiple angles/slots and fit passes around incoming defenders in the backfield. Ward has plus-level mobility and can create plays with his feet. Whether second-reaction throws outside the pocket or running for 20 yards, he is a threat on the ground.
He is comfortable using hard counts to force the defense out of their disguises, then set the protection to pick up any indicating extra rushers from the second or third levels of the defense. Ward's knowledge and mastery of Miami's offense is clear watching him work pre-snap.
Ball protection will remain a talking point with his draft profile. He is a gunslinger and even admitted to it during an August interview. Ward is a risk-taker but needs to improve on being calculated with those risks. He tends to test coverage windows and has put the ball in harm's way throughout his career. Ward is accustomed to performing as Michael Jordan in the Finals and putting the offense on his back. Sometimes, playing less hero ball and taking the designated layups or hot reads in the offense will go a long way.
One way to decrease turnover-worthy plays is for Ward to limit pre-determining his reads pre-snap. He will read the pre-snap defensive formation and believe it will be their post-snap coverage shell. This tendency to predetermine his pre-snap reads got him in trouble against Virginia Tech. Consistently using eye manipulation to move defenders out of throwing windows will benefit him. Although Ward is a good athlete, he does not engage his legs and rushing ability enough. This aspect of his game is underutilized when it could mitigate defensive pressure quickly.
In conclusion, Cam Ward is among the most gifted throwers in the NFL draft class. The combination of arm talent, mobility/athleticism, and accuracy is what the NFL is looking for in potential franchise QBs. He has superstar potential if he can cut down on mistakes/risky decisions.
GRADE: 8.3 (Impact player — 1st Round)
OVERALL RANK: 9
POSITION RANK: QB1
PRO COMPARISON: Steve McNair
Written by B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson
