USA Today For The Win's Christian D'Andrea believes Cam Ward's less risky QB profile makes him preferable in the 2025 NFL draft to Shedeur Sanders; who is prone to take sacks and negative plays far more often than Ward.
"Parts of his game need polish — his footwork is right about where you’d expect a quarterback who was playing for Incarnate Word three years ago to be — but the talent and instincts are there. He may not be as exciting as Shedeur Sanders, but his ability to make his entire offense better with a lower risk of negative plays makes him my QB1," D'Andrea wrote.
D'Andrea has confidence in the Las Vegas Raiders figuring out how to scheme around Shedeur's shortcomings if/when the black and silver select the "Grown QB."
"He plays football like you would in a video game, seeing the field with clear vision and leaving passes exactly where he expects them to go. Sometimes this means whipping a laser through tight coverage. Other times he’s throwing guys open with lofted deep balls to the open side of the field," D'Andrea wrote.
"He’s a solid scrambler, but that sometimes leads him into trouble and negative plays instead of just ditching the ball. That’s correctable, and even if it’s a modest trade-off compared to the big plays he’s created at Colorado. The question now is if Las Vegas can give him the talent he needs to thrive."
Ward makes defenders look silly at the collegiate level, but it's not clear how that will translate to the next level. More than likely, Ward will have to rely on his arm at the next level; something that Shedeur is far superior at doing.
It's easy to see Ward revitalize Miami singlehandedly and believe he'll be a better pro. Shedeur has a better NFL build, though, and may end up in a better organization from the jump, with a minority owner in Tom Brady who knows what it takes to win.