“Severely underrated in this draft class”: NFL Draft analyst makes feelings known about Cam Ward ahead of 2025 draft

ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid believes Miami quarterback Cam Ward is being overlooked in the 2025 NFL Draft discussion. Speaking on The Domonique Foxworth Show on Friday, Reid shed light on why he ranks Ward ahead of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and where the Hurricanes QB would be in comparison to J.J. McCarthy.

“I think (Cam Ward) is being severely underrated in this draft class,” Reid said. “I have him ahead of J.J. McCarthy if he was in this draft class.”

Reid argued that Ward would have been in contention as the fourth quarterback off the board in 2024, behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. In his view, Ward belongs in the same tier as McCarthy, making him a likely first-round selection.

As for Sanders, Reid sees him in a different tier, grouped with Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. as a potential fifth or sixth quarterback off the board.

Cam Ward drawing significant attention

Quarterbacks are the focus of the upcoming NFL draft, with Shedeur Sanders and Ward drawing significant attention. ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck pointed out Sanders’ advantage of working under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur for the past two seasons.

According to Hasselbeck, Ward’s ability to thrive across different offensive systems makes him an intriguing prospect.

“The best quarterback trait that you can have [is] you make people around you better,” Hasselbeck said, adding that Ward has consistently demonstrated that ability. (1:56)

However, questions remain about Ward’s transition to the NFL. Analyst Sam Acho pointed out Ward’s tendency to move too much in the pocket, cautioning that he will face a different level of competition.

"You're not going against Georgia Tech anymore," Acho said.

“One area of improvement for Cam Ward is just to understand that you're not going against Georgia Tech, you're not going against Syracuse. You're going against Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt, these are freak athletes.”

Ward’s experience primarily operating out of the shotgun is another consideration, but Hasselbeck believes the evolution of NFL offenses has minimized that concern.

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