The NFL Draft will begin on April 24, 2025. We take a look at Cameron Ward, a quarterback who transferred from Washington State to the University of Miami prior to the 2024 NCAA football season.
Make sure to check out all of our other NFL Draft scouting reports.
Name: Cameron Ward
Jersey: No. 1
Position: Quarterback
School: Miami
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 220 lbs.
Games Watched: Washington (2023), Oregon (2023), Northern Colorado (2023), USC (2022), Oregon (2022)
Major Injury History: None
Define Cam Ward in one word you ask?
Aura
The Good • Ward will have plenty of growing pains once he debuts at the NFL level, but there is clear-cut confidence and swagger baked into his game. Has the needed physical traits, arm talent, and improvisational skills to exceed at… pic.twitter.com/RLcxly7Bfo
— Dillon Jewett (@dillonjewett1) June 8, 2024
Background
Cam Ward dominated at Incarnate Word, posting absurd numbers, which eventually led to him having an opportunity to bring his talents to Washington State. Ward quickly took control of the Washington State offense. Now having transferred to the University of Miami, he’s due for a big jump, especially if he can improve his ability to manage the pocket and go through progressions. He doesn’t have much of an injury history at all and plays an aggressive style of football, which has been seen throughout his college career.
On a side note, he’s also the cousin of current free agent safety Quandre Diggs.
Cameron Ward – Strengths
Ward has a confident demeanor, which is easily visible on film. He navigates the pocket with purpose and poise and possesses a gunslinger mindset and attitude to his game. He’s an elusive runner with fluidity and agility, but he has yet to fully unleash himself as a runner.
An athletically gifted player who is probably a much more capable scrambler than his numbers imply, Ward can put plenty of torque and velocity on the football. Able to make side-arm throws with certain magic behind them, his arm strength will be coveted by teams. He’s able to extend and make plays off-script thanks to his mobility and poise while working under duress and is capable of making the right plays at the right time in late-game scenarios.
Cameron Ward – Weaknesses
Ward still has some work to do on reading coverages, navigating through progressions, and staying on schedule. He’s fundamentally raw and sometimes shows stagnant feet and a wide release, which doesn’t always look entirely natural going about the advanced aspects of the position.
He was a lowly regarded recruit and has yet to close the gap to becoming an on-par mechanic, one of the few things he’s yet to take strides in throughout his collegiate career. Also, he has shown an extremely noteworthy fumbling issue. He could frequently get in trouble because of his aggression and gunslinger mentality, with too many errant and forced passes.
Summary
Cameron Ward is a strong-armed quarterback with a high level of confidence, moxy, and swagger. He’s a playmaker who can create magic when things break down, and while his overall pocket awareness is a work in progress, he boasts the off-script abilities to manufacture something out of nothing.
He does require some extreme fundamental modifications to his game, particularly regarding his release, footwork, timing, awareness, and consistency. He needs to take strides regarding accuracy, though he’s had moments that belie that notion. He’s probably best suited for an offense with a vertical route tree and an aggressive style of quarterback play. If he shows improvement, he could take a leap into day one territory in 2024.
Pro Comparison: Hendon Hooker
Draft Projection: Second Round
Grade: Third Round
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