NFL Draft 2025: Tennessee Titans Select Miami QB Cam Ward with Number One Overall Pick
In a move that has been widely anticipated, the Tennessee Titans have selected Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to a report by the NFL’s official website. Ward, who will turn 23 in May, brings a highly touted set of skills to the Titans, including a strong arm and exceptional athletic ability.
The signal-caller, as noted by the NFL, "owns the ability to whip the pigskin all over the gridiron" and displays fearlessness, trusting his arm to fit spirals into tight windows. Ward is an electric playmaker with the ability to evade defenders and make off-platform throws look easy. This skillset is expected to bring excitement to a rebuilding Titans squad that struggled under centre last season.
Ward’s college career has provided him with five years of starting experience, giving him a familiarity with defensive tendencies and the ability to get through a progression. As the NFL notes, he has also shown 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.
However, as with any prospect, there are areas for improvement. The biggest knock on Ward, according to the NFL, is his tendency to play "hero ball," trusting his arm to beat any defence 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. This is an area that Titans head coach Brian Callahan will look to clean up in his rookie quarterback.
In terms of his physical abilities, 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. The NFL notes that his footwork could use some tweaks, and he drifts backward to make throws at times, taking some zip off his balls.
The selection of Ward seemingly makes 2023 second-round pick Will Levis superfluous, who started 21 games over the past two seasons. The addition of Ward to a Tennessee offence that added key pieces last offseason, including playmakers Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard, is expected to bring a significant boost to the team’s fortunes. 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 did in 2024. In Year 1, Callahan often appeared frustrated with his quarterback play, citing glaring mistakes and an inability to make station-to-station throws needed to keep the offence afloat. The NFL reports that Ward can fix both of those problems.
The Titans hope that they will see similar results from Ward as they did with Joe Burrow, who was selected by the Bengals in 2020. In his second season as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati, the Bengals landed Burrow, and in his second season in Tennessee, he gets Ward. With Ward on board, the Titans are expected to see a marked improvement in their quarterback play and a more cohesive offence.
Source: NFL.com
