All Hurricanes

What NFL Circles are saying about Cam Ward: Week One

A week-to-week update on the draft stock of the Cane's star QB

Peyton Davis

Florida defensive end Tyreak Sapp (94) pressures Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes in the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Florida defensive end Tyreak Sapp (94) pressures Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the season opener at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, August 31, 2024 against the University of Miami Hurricanes in the first half. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Every year there are many players that are not on NFL scout's radar going into the college season that rocket up draft boards and are apparent first round picks after just a few weeks.

This becomes very well documented especially at the quarterback position, as preseason big boards look drastically different than postseason every year. Most recently, last year's Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels wasn't seen as a very relevant draft pick at all, much less a top-two prospect, anywhere early on last year.

The 2025 NFL quarterback class does not have a direct number-one, "can't miss" prospect, and there are bound to be multiple that emerge up boards. Miami fans may just have the most clear example of this year's version of Daniels in senior transfer star, Cam Ward, who looked every part of an elite NFL prospect in Saturday's thrashing of the Florida Gators in Gainesville.

There is already plenty of NFL buzz surrounding his performance. On the biggest stage of his career so far, in one of the most hostile SEC environments, leading a program under immense pressure on national TV - Ward's obvious comfort level and unfazed posture jumped off the screen on Saturday afternoon. His stat line reflected that as well: 385 yards and 3 TDs on 74-percent completion as well as two almost hilariously nonchalant first-down scrambles ending in walks out of bounds that went viral.

Walking on the football field is almost never seen as a good thing, but in this case, Ward shows how comfortable and almost arrogant he is to the Florida defense, knowing there's not a thing they can do to stop him.

The tangible abilities are what matters, and Ward showed plenty to warrant excitement in NFL circles. His unorthodox, side-arm throwing motion generated multiple displays of not only good but great arm strength and velocity. His 11 completions of 15+ air yards made for plenty of tape showing double-plus arm talent, none more impressive than his 3rd and 11 touchdown pass in the third quarter that essentially sealed a Canes blowout.

The endzone view of this play shows what kind of degree of difficulty this throw was and the type of talent it takes to make it. Low trajectory, off platform, rolling out to off-hand, tight window, escape ability all on a third and long - this play checked pretty much any box you can think of from a scout's perspective.

Ward's footwork also stood out in this game. His release is longer than average which can be a negative, but he makes it up with calm and balanced footwork that keep his ability to generate a strong throw available at all times. Like on this 3rd and 10, Florida gets instant push on a blitz to the right side of the line, so he drifts to the weak side of the blitz and delivers an incredible tight window throw down the left sideline.

It wasn't all perfect for Ward on Saturday. He threw a bad pick inside his own 15 that set up the Gators basically in the red zone, and had a few plays where he was over-drifting and fading away from throws that could run him into trouble against a better opponent. However, there was plenty here to work with from a scouting perspective, and the hype around him is warranted for now.

The next step for him will be showing consistency throughout this season. With the tumultuous start from the ACC as a whole, the conference appears to be on a silver platter for Miami.

Across all 17 teams, none were close to as impressive, and the two preseason favorites, Florida State and Clemson, are a combined 0-3 and looked a lot more like unranked teams rather than conference contenders.

If Ward leads Miami to an ACC title and playoff birth beyond any individual feet he achieves, he could easily be a top half first round pick and potentially even higher come next April.

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Peyton Davis

PEYTON DAVIS