Cam Ward is the 2025 NFL Draft first overall selection. This is Miami’s first no1 since 1991, and the Titans/Oilers first since Earl Campbell in 1978.
The Miami Hurricanes are back in the no.1 overall picture with QB Cam Ward going 1st to the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft. The ‘Canes hadn’t seen a player drafted 1st overall since Russell Maryland went to the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 NFL Draft. Maryland and the Boys won three Super Bowls together in the 90’s.
Prior to ‘91, Miami QB Vinny Testaverde went first in the 1987 NFL Draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Titans / Houston Oilers have drafted first overall now three times in franchise history.
Obviously Ward was taken first in 2025 as a Titan. RB Earl Campbell was taken first in 1978 and DE John Matuszak in 1971- both as Oilers. Campbell is in the NFL Hall of Fame and Matuszak went on to win two Super Bowls with the Raiders.
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Where does Ward fit into the Titans picture? The Titans are coached by Brian Callahan who is in his first stint as an NFL head coach. Callahan coached the Titans to a 3-14 record in ‘24 which earned the franchise the top pick in ‘25. Callahan came to the Titans from the Cincinnati Bengals where he served as the tutor for a rookie QB in Joe Burrow.
Callahan and Burrow teamed up to get the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI, where the team lost to the LA Rams. Callahan does however have a ring from his time as an offensive assistant with the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 under Gary Kubiak.
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Callahan has been around a rookie QB in Burrow, but also veteran passers in Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions).
Ward will be coached by Callahan and his offensive coordinator Nick Holz. Holz has worked under Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Brian’s dad Bill Callahan, and Jon Gruden while also having coached a young QB in Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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QB coach Bo Hardegree is in his 11th season as an NFL assistant and is well traveled having worked for seven franchises since the 2014 season. Hardegree has coached Jay Cutler, Peyton Manning, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Darnold, Mac Jones and Derek Carr.
Callahan, Holz and Hardegree are now tasked with coaching up another rookie QB in Miami’s Cam Ward after the Will Levis experiment went sideways in 2024. Levis was a 2nd round pick in the ‘23 NFL Draft and has a record of 5-16 in 21 starts while throwing 21 TD’s and 16 INT’s.
We’ll take a look at the Will Levis tape from ‘24 where this coaching trio was together in Tennessee. Levis will more than likely be traded during the draft to clear the path for Ward to start the season as the clear choice at QB1.
The Titans have Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett at WR with Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard at RB to give Ward a limited number of weapons. Maybe with a trade of Levis they can add talent around Ward for his rookie season. Levis also struggled with pass protection last year being sacked eight times against the Green Bay Packers.
Will Levis
Above– Three man vertical concept with some late pick-check downs. Levis fires it into a tight window. He has a big arm and can hit those intermediate throws into tight spots much like Ward can.
Above– Back foot, late, multiple hitches in his set-up but Levis does put it in more of a “me or no one” spot than other throws. You can see what the Titans are asking of him- use your raw talent and make plays. That could be a real positive for Ward’s style of play.
Above– 10 and 15 yard outs are the NFL must-make throws. Levis nails this one between two defenders on a hi-low read. We’ve seen Ward do this stuff with Xavier Restrepo at Miami.
Above– Ward will be working under center more in the NFL, it’s just a fact of the pro game. He’ll really have to master his ‘back turn’ play-action game in order to succeed. That’s a ton of visual-cognitive-motor work on your own time. Get used to your eyes coming off and back onto targets which is a higher risk at the college level.
Above– This feels like a Ward special here the under center play-action and hitting the TE. I think Ward has a better play fake than Levis shows here but Levis does place the ball well at times.
Above– Back shoulder throws with nice ball placement should be an easy thing for Ward. He’s shown that ability in college and it should continue to be a strength for him. They’re all about ball placement in the league.
Above– Play-action, half roll away, and a big deep crossing route like y-cross for a TD. Great arc, placement and arm strength here from Levis.
I get the upside on Levis but we’re getting into the downside next. The boneheaded plays are a thing of legend for Levis in the NFL.
Above– Here’s your play-action and back turn that goes wrong. The minute your eyes are off the defenders your OODA Loop is stalled by your own design. Now the QB has to get their eyes back on the defender or space and here Levis doesn’t see the DB baiting him.
Above– This is the goofy stuff that you can’t afford to do in the red zone on 3rd down in the NFL. Pushing yourself out of a 4th down try, and potentially out of an easy FG attempt if it goes really badly. We’ve seen Ward take these type of sacks here or there at Miami, more so at Washington State.
Above– Here’s where the hero ball stuff fails Levis. Sometimes you have to just live to fight another day. You have a one point lead in the 4th quarter. Take the sack, punt it away, play defense. Instead it goes ugly quick.
Cam Ward
Above– The same out route we looked at from Levis works here but down by the end zone to Restrepo.
Above– Deep switch concept comes open and Ward drops that thing between two defenders for a TD.
Above– If the Titans want to wrinkle in some 3rd level RPO’s Ward can make those trows. Here’s a nice Glance off the run action for a 1st down.
Above– The deep crossing route we saw from Levis is on display here with Ward. The throws Callahan wants Ward to make have already been on film, just at a lower level of competition compared to the pros.
Above– Ball placement is key and here Ward puts it where only George can reach it. This is out of bounds or a TD type of throw.
Above– Much like we saw with Levis that interior escape folds up and is stopped for a sack.
Above– Here we see the hero ball stuff that is going to hurt Ward if he can’t cut down on this in the NFL. He can stay same side on a deep late throw but back over the middle across the body is a terrible decision.
Above– This is more hero ball gone wrong. His NFL coaches will be on him about this type of stuff and how to play loose like Patrick Mahomes but within the confines of a west coast leaning offense. Callahan likes high percentage QB’s (Ward) that protect the football (sometimes Ward, but certainly not Levis).
The Wrap
For all of Levis’ boneheaded mistakes, he didn’t get a lot of help along the way. Ward will have to learn to be more of a check down and take what’s given guy and less of a hero ball QB in the NFL.
The Titans really need to leverage a veteran backup QB to take the starts off of Ward until the bye week. Maybe a Levis trade can open up a draft pick and a backup QB with another team. Either way with the Titans O-Line struggling and their lack of key playmakers it’ll be a rough year one for whoever is behind center in ‘25.
However, I don’t think anything Callahan and Holz will throw at Ward will be that different or outside of his skillset. Shallow cross, vertical concepts, stick routes… all things Ward excels at. Maybe adding some more Mesh variations for him would do wonders for a rookie Ward.