ESPN NFL Draft insider Mel Kiper believes that Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward will be selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite highlighting some areas where Ward may run into problems at the professional level, he had the Miami QB going to the Tennessee Titans with the first pick ahead of Colorado Buffaloes dual-threat star Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders.
Ward and Sanders are expected to be the first two quarterbacks selected in 2025, but while discussing the upcoming NFL Draft on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Kiper made clear that he believed that Miami’s QB had the current edge over the Heisman Trophy winner.
What Did Mel Kiper Say About Cam Ward?
According to his personal rankings, Kiper has Sanders above Ward, yet he believes the latter will be selected first by Tennessee in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Tennessee, I’m taking Cam Ward. Not because he’s my highest-rated quarterback. Shedeur Sanders is my QB1, but because my friends in the NFL are saying the live arm, the mobility, the high completion percentage at three different programs, doesn’t throw a lot of interceptions,” he stated.
Kiper continued by outlining how there are some ball-security questions that are real with Ward.
“He’s a little careless, a little reckless with the football in terms of ball security at times. He cleaned that up a little this year. Certainly, Cam Ward makes sense at that pick number one for Tennessee,” he added.
.@MelKiperESPN details where Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward may land in his first NFL mock draft of 2025 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/I0YhvPYN5f
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 22, 2025
On the year, Ward had 39 passing touchdowns and only seven interceptions to his name.
Ward’s PFN 2025 NFL Draft Projection
Despite Kiper believing that he will be the top pick, Ward was selected No. 6 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in Pro Football Network’s latest 7-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
As PFN’s Dalton Miller starkly notes, “With entirely new leadership in place in Las Vegas, the front office should have enough of a runway to bring along Ward at a reasonable pace. Under no circumstance should Ward play in 2025. In fact, he should probably be the team’s emergency quarterback unless injuries take over for the Raiders.
“Ward’s closest comparison is Zach Wilson. His bad habits will only be magnified in live action against NFL defenses. However, if the organization places training wheels on him, he has the athletic potential to compete in a division with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes.”
