2025 NFL Draft: Miami QB Cam Ward Breakdown - Part 2

Yesterday, I focused on the flashy stuff when it comes to Cam Ward’s game - the physical traits, the “wow” throws, the play-making ability, etc.

Today, I’ll dive into how he does with the intricacies of playing the position. Namely, how he performs from the pocket.

This is the most important aspect of the quarterback position. No matter how good a QB is at making second-reaction plays, he has to be able to perform from the pocket. That’s where more than 90% of his throws (unofficial number) will come from, even for one who scrambles often.

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To be clear, Ward does have a lot of the attributes and tendencies needed to function at a very high level from the pocket. Those were on display frequently during his time at Miami.

But there are also areas where he needs much more refinement and precision.

Let’s dive in.

Working Through Progressions

Ward might be a talented scrambler, but he’s not a quarterback who just looks at one or two receivers before deciding to take off. Instead, he has consistently shown the ability to work through progressions and deliver accurate passes late in the down to his 3rd or 4th receivers.

Here’s just one example. First, note the route combination. I’m guessing the #1 receiver to Ward’s left was an alert that he could take if he liked it, followed by a left-to-right progression:

Watch Ward look left first, eliminate the alert and the quick out, move to #2 over the middle, and then work his way to #3 on the backside:

That’s professional quarterbacking.

On this next example, watch Ward eliminate his first two receivers to the right before coming back to the middle of the field and hitting his third:

That was a fantastic throw and a lot harder than it looked. He had to put that ball above the second level defender but underneath the deep safety while also putting it a little behind his receiver to slow him down to keep him away from the cornerback. He did that on what was his 3rd option on the play, which is impressive.

Here’s one more example. Watch Ward eliminate the routes to his right before coming back to the left and finding his next option over the middle of the field:

One thing I’ll mention without showing it is that Ward was communicating a lot at the line of scrimmage before this play. He displayed great pre-snap command all season at Miami, seemingly having the ability to change the play, the protection, or individual routes (he was often communicating with his receivers via hand signals).

Light Feet

Ward’s athleticism doesn’t just help him when he’s on the run. They help in the pocket as well.

He’s got the ability to quickly get his feet in position to throw and often does a good job of moving them with his eyes as he works through his progressions.

Let’s check out the play above from the end-zone angle. Watch how he kept his feet under him and how they moved with his eyes, right to left. That kept him ready and in position to hit his receiver late in the play:

This is something I’ve seen throughout Ward’s tape, particularly when he’s got a clean pocket. He’ll hang in, work through his reads, and his feet will move with his eyes:

Ward’s quick feet also play a key role in the RPO game, where he’s able to get them in position to throw in a moment’s notice.

On the examples below, watch him turn his body completely parallel to the sidelines to carry out a run fake to the left before quickly flipping his feet around and drilling a strike:

Now watch him do the same thing but flip all the way around to the opposite side of the field to delivering another accurate throw into a tight window:

The ability to quickly get his feet in position like that can open things up in the RPO game. Defenses won’t be able to get a jump on where he might attack just based on the position of the running back in the backfield or the direction in which Ward opens up.

As much as I like to see a quarterback throwing with his feet under him, not every play is going to come with a pristine pocket. The option to throw with perfect footwork isn’t always there, which means that quarterbacks often have to make throws from off-balanced positions.

In part 1 of my Cam Ward breakdown, you could see countless examples of him doing that, particularly when on the run. Below is one more example that’s worth highlighting as well.

Watch Ward slide to his left and make a perfectly accurate touch pass without his feet being in an ideal position to throw:

To be clear, there was no need to slide on this play, and Ward easily could have moved into pressure had there been any. You’d never teach a quarterback to slide like he did on this snap with no pressure. It’s not a good habit for any quarterback to need to move towards his throws.

The point I’m making here is that Ward CAN make throws without his feet under him. And the above movement is the type that will come in handy against cover-0 blitzes and other pressure schemes where a quarterback may need to buy time by back-pedaling or sliding before getting the throw off.

Processing and Anticipation

The ability to quickly process what the defense is doing and respond accordingly is arguably the most important aspect of playing the quarterback position. It’s what separates the good from the great.

And this is a bit of a gray area for Ward. Sometimes he appears to see the field clearly and is decisive with his throws. Other times, he doesn’t let it go and leaves potential completions on the field.