2025 NFL Draft comparisons: Analyst warns Cam Ward experience could be Russell Westbrook head-scratcher

We're officially in January, and while we haven't seen action in the NFL since the turn of the year, that will be remedied soon, starting Saturday, when the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens. Since it's Week 18, we also have a fair idea of who's going to be picking where in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As always, there are some QB-needy teams like the New York Giants and the Las Vegas Raiders and the top two quarterbacks in this class appear to be, by consensus, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward.

As things stand, the New England Patriots have the first overall pick, with the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders to follow.

Among them, three teams have some need at QB - the Giants, Raiders, and, to some extent, the Titans. For any of those teams looking to pick Cam Ward, NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid has some fair warning. In conversation with ESPN's Kevin Clark, Reid said about Ward:

“I know a lot of people are not really interested in this quarterback class outside Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. The best comparison when talking about Cam is that it’s kind of like watching prime Russell Westbrook.

"You know he’s going to give it his all every single night. There’s going to be some electrifying plays. There’s going to be some plays like man, what the hell was he doing on that play? He reminds me a lot of prime Russell Westbrook. Just trying to explain the Cam Ward experience."

Reid reiterated that Ward has the penchant to make about nine or 10 plays that will have fans on the edge of their seats but can also make a couple that will leave fans and coaches scratching their heads.

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What Cam Ward's year has looked like as he preps to enter 2025 NFL Draft?

It's safe to say that Ward has had an interesting year.

During the Pop-Tarts Bowl last weekend the Miami Hurricanes went up against the Iowa State Cyclones, and Ward put on a show in the first half.

He locked horns with the Big 12's top passing defense and lit them up for four straight touchdown drives, setting a record for most division-one passing touchdowns in a year (156).

Ward racked up 190 passing yards before exiting the NFL game at the half with the scoreboard at 31-28. There was a fair bit of controversy, though, as the Hurricanes lost the game 42-41.