"Does not stand out like Williams and Daniels": NFL analyst reveals why Cam Ward was not a first-round choice before 2025

Aaron Schatz, an ESPN NFL analyst, didn't seem convinced that Cam Ward has the same elite characteristics as last year's top prospects. Schatz's doubts are not contingent on the fact that the Miami quarterback is likely to be the Tennessee Titans' first overall choice in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Schatz analyzed this year's quarterback prospects in his Sunday ESPN entry titled "2025 NFL draft quarterback projections: Stats, rankings, more." In his section on Ward, the ESPN analyst compared the 22-year-old to elite prospects of last year's draft like Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.

"Ward is QBASE's top quarterback in 2025, having just set the career FBS touchdown passes record with 158. Still, he does not stand out as much as Williams and Daniels from last year's class," Schatz wrote.

NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn

"While Ward had a five-year college career due to extra COVID-19 eligibility, he was not seen as a first-round prospect before this draft cycle. It is understandable for the Titans to use the No.1 overall pick on him, but it is also unlikely that he would have gone in the top three picks last year," the ESPN report concluded.

Ward had a 67.2% completion rate and 3.4 rushing yards per attempt in 2024. Jayden Daniels had 72.2% completions and 8.4 rushing yards per attempt in 2023.

---

Cam Ward gets a Patrick Mahomes comparison

NBA: Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks - Source: Imagn

ESPN's Kevin Clark offered a much bolder take on the Miami quarterback's potential, drawing a comparison to Kansas City Chiefs superstar, Pat Mahomes.

This comparison follows similar language used last year about Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. He was also likened to Mahomes for his improvisational skills and throwing ability.

Cam Ward's path has included success at multiple levels - from Incarnate Word in the FCS to Washington State and finally Miami, where he threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns last season.

Next Gen Stats gave Ward a prospect score of 86, the highest grade among quarterbacks in this year's draft class. They even rate him higher overall than C.J. Stroud, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix using their metrics.

Despite these accolades, Schatz's QBASE projections remain measured about Ward's NFL potential. His mean projection of 0.35 Total defense-adjusted yards above replacement per attempt (TDYAR/A) indicates solid starter potential, but falls short of elite status.

Ward has a 38.2% chance of being a "bust" and only a 16.1% chance of reaching elite level.