Cam Ward Showcasing Major Growth Ahead Of 2025 NFL Draft

Upside.

It’s a term that can be thrown around with positive and negative connotations but fits the collective of the 2025 quarterback class before the beginning of the college football season. Now that we’re at the halfway point, the quarterback class is just as divisive as expected, drawing comparisons to the 2022 class in some places. That’s laying it on too thick as Kenny Pickett was the first and only quarterback taken in the first round, and we’ve seen what happened. Malik Willis was touted as the most talented quarterback but far too developmental to risk with a first-round pick; now look at what Matt LeFleur did with Willis in Jordan Love’s absence. This group of quarterbacks is much more talented and showcasing more upside every week. 

There’s that word again…upside. 

Let’s look at Heisman front-runner Cam Ward. He’s been the poster boy for pure talent and upside at the quarterback position since his time at Incarnate Word. Transferring to Miami put more eyes on Ward nationally, and the last two fourth-quarter comeback wins have shown character and situational growth that Ward needed to showcase to NFL teams. After their one-point victory over Cal on Saturday, this postgame interview gave us some insight into his mental space and how he course-corrected. 

Ward taking responsibility for trying to do too much earlier in the game, including the pick-six he threw in the third quarter, and then getting back to their game and doing what was asked of him shows how coachable he is. In those moments, he showed humility, took responsibility for being part of the problem, and became part of the solution.

The decision-making part of his process is a sticking point for many evaluators, and this interception is a perfect example. Ward’s dropback is typically more nonchalant, and speeding up his cadence with the dropback will help with route timing at the next level, but what happens after he gets out of the pocket is the issue. On first down, throwing across his body to the left side of the field doesn’t have to happen. Forcing throws when the offense needs an injection of momentum happens to all quarterbacks, and hearing Ward talk about what went into the adjustments was great insight. Then he put on a show. 

Ward was unconscious in the fourth quarter, and while he was putting up incredible numbers, he directed the success to the team—the offensive line, the run game, receivers stepping up, etc. He’s a genuine leader, and this type of post-game interview and team hype he showcases shows true development to NFL teams.

It’s not just the leadership and physical tools that separate Ward from the “upside” labeled quarterbacks. The improvement in his footwork, pocket navigation, and accuracy from last season to now shows the work ethic to continue to hone his craft and get better every year. Work ethic is one of the wild cards during the draft process because we don’t always get a clear picture during a collegiate career, and seeing Ward’s improvement year over year is an encouraging sign. 

He doesn’t back down in big moments, either. He plays with a calm demeanor that often gets interpreted as pure arrogance, but it’s confidence. While he showed he could win with his legs on his touchdown run, he’s made a calculated approach to win from the pocket. He’s growing more confident as a passer, and he did this with his team scraping back in this game, down 20 points. 

Accuracy from the pocket, combined with the confidence to make regular throws like this, is how Dak Prescott remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. This is a beautifully layered throw up the right seam placed in a position where only his receiver can make a play on it with the right amount of velocity and touch. He looks to his left and points in that direction before returning to his right and letting this fly. 

There will be many different opinions about Ward that extend to the quarterback class as a whole. The most significant differentiating factor between this class and the 2022 class is UPSIDE. Ward has embodied that term through most of his collegiate career, but we’re starting to see the qualities that separate top quarterback prospects from the pack. 

Leadership, humility, and coachability go along with the physical tools he possesses to make the type of player an NFL team can mold. Every player at every level of football deals with adversity, sometimes self-inflicted, but we’re more interested in seeing how they answer that adversity. Ward has shown us all that in moments of adversity, he faces it head-on. He’s a winner.