Cam Ward certainly solidified his case to the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans selected Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The pick seemed fait accompli for weeks, with nary a rumor suggesting Tennessee might go in another direction following the Miami quarterback’s pro day.
"I was hoping (the Titans) would pick me for real, especially when I got to learn more about head coach (Brian) Callahan's offense, the new general manager Mr. Mike (Borgonzi) and president Mr. Chad (Brinker). Miss Amy (Adams Strunk) is a great owner, and they have a great organization," Ward said Thursday, via the team website. "So, I am excited. It all worked out in the long run, and I am grateful for it."
Ward heads to Nashville with a wealth of college experience, starting 57 games over five years. The signal-caller began his college career at FCS University of the Incarnate Word in 2020, starting 19 games over two seasons before transferring to Washington State in 2022. Ward continued to stack numbers with the Cougars, combining for 6,963 passing yards and 48 TDs in two seasons.
Ward transferred to Miami for his final season and cemented his status as the top QB in the 2025 class. A 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist, Ward was a consensus All-American, named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, and the Davey O’Brien Award winner as the nation’s top signal-caller. He set single-season Hurricanes passing records for yards (4,313), completions (305), and touchdowns (39). Ward set an NCAA record with 158 career passing TDs.
Turning 23 in May, Ward brings a big arm to Tennessee, owning the ability to whip the pigskin all over the gridiron. The signal-caller displays fearlessness, trusting his arm to fit spirals into tight windows. Ward is an electric playmaker with the athletic ability to evade defenders and the arm strength to make off-platform throws look easy.
The five years of starting experience provide familiarity with defensive tendencies and getting through a progression. He also showed the smarts to make pre-snap checks. His ability to pick things up quickly at each stop in his college career, including displaying leadership qualities needed for the position, bode well for the Titans.
The biggest knock on the signal-caller is his tendency to play “hero ball,” trusting his arm to beat any defense and believing he can make plays that aren’t there. Sometimes, he holds the ball too long, waiting for those situations to develop, which leads to negative plays. He won’t be the first or last NFL quarterback to have those tendencies -- i.e., Josh Allen or Matthew Stafford. Ward’s footwork could use some tweaks, and he drifts backward to make throws at times, taking some zip off his balls. Those are areas Titans head coach Brian Callahan will look to clean up in his rookie quarterback.
Ward isn’t a swift scrambler but can make defenders miss with savvy jukes and knows how to get extra yards while avoiding crushing hits.
Seemingly the consensus top quarterback in the 2025 draft class, Ward boasts electric talents that bring excitement to a rebuilding Titans squad that was lost under center last season. Ward immediately makes 2023 second-round pick Will Levis -- who started 21 games over the past two seasons -- superfluous.
The No. 1 overall pick joins a Tennessee offense that added key pieces last offseason in playmakers Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard. This year, Tennessee attempted to revamp its woeful offensive line, signing former Pittsburgh left tackle Dan Moore Jr., flipping 2024 first-round pick JC Latham to right tackle and adding veteran guard Kevin Zeitler. If the blocking improves, Ward will immediately have a better shot at succeeding than Levis or Mason Rudolph(five starts) did in 2024.
In Year 1, Callahan often appeared frustrated with his quarterback play. The glaring mistakes were one part. The other issue was the inability of either starter to make the station-to-station throws needed to keep the offense afloat. Ward can fix both of those problems.
In Callahan’s second season as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, the Bengals landed Joe Burrow. In his second season in Tennessee, he gets Ward. The Titans hope they’ll see similar results from a No. 1 QB.
Asked Thursday about proving the Titans right in taking him atop the draft, Ward said they already knew they had.
"It's really proving myself right," Ward said. "They know they made the right choice in getting me. But at the end of the day, I am just trying to be with my teammates, have command of the huddle, and at the end of the day, try and win games, that is our main goal."