Why the Titans picked Cam Ward, and what he needs to fix

It is office.

After months of breathless speculation, film breakdown, scouting profiles, pro -days, private training and more, Cam Ward is on his way to the AFC South. The Tennessee Titans confirm all pre-Draft Buzz and made the Miami Quarterback the first pick in the 2025 NFL concept.

What exactly do the titans get? Do they get the franchise quartback that they mirror?

Let’s dive on what Ward does well, how he will win in the NFL, and what he should improve if he adapts to life as a professional quarterback.

A problem solver, even in the light of pressure

There are two aspects of Ward’s strength in the bag. The first is about his ability to tackle pressure, and the second comes in terms of how he solves problems in and the bag of Arund.

The two work to paint an image of the modern NFL -Pocket Passer.

Let’s start with busy. Pressure is a fact of life in the NFL for Quarterbacks.

There are two different types of pressure that you are confronted with. First, the pressure that is accompanied by the first overall selection is. Ward still gets used to the new Titans hat on his head, but you can already be sure that there are calls to start Tennessee’s first game next season before we even know who will be their opponent.

How does Ward deal with that pressure?

We cannot answer that question here tonight, only Ward itself can answer that in the coming weeks and months. That is part of the Riddle Tennessee who tried to solve during the concept process, but it is one of the reasons why Scouting is such a difficult art. We may not know the fear in that question until Ward is in Tennessee and gets his first taste of life as a professional.

But then there is the other type of printing quartbacks that you are confronted with. The pressure to defend in your face, or a player like Abdul Carter who goes on your blindside. How do you deal with that?

Here is perhaps the greatest power of Ward as a prospect.

Although he has many strengths as a quarterback, Ward has different ways in which he can succeed in the light of pressure, whether it can play Footwork, Play Strength or Substimes Pure.

That will certainly serve him well in Tennessee.

Take this first example, third-down game against Iowa State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Ward is confronted almost immediately after the Snap with a non -blocked interior pass, because there is a breakdown in the protection. The cyclones send a few Rushers through the A-Gaps, as well as a neust tank that takes the middle frontally. The declining back to take one of the Blitzers, but the second is released.

Ward takes that defender and flashes the kind of playing strength that matters at the Quarterback position. But it’s what he is doing now that stands out. Instead of immediately bail from the bag – as you are inferior, you will see from Kwarts when they are confronted in the down early – he has climb the bag.

As he does that, he holds his eyes down and sees a recipient who reveals on a crossing route. Ward drops in a perfect throw and the hurricanes move the chains:

(Note, for readers on Apple News You must click on the link above to see the play with input).

A fem later clicks against Iowa State, Ward finds a different way to beat pressure. This time he sees a free rusher early in the down and immediately sliding and climbing. Again he holds his eyes down, so that he can spot a crosser late in the piece for big profit:

In this game against Florida State, Ward sees a pre-snap cover 0 look from the Seminols. Here he does not beat the pressure with his athletics, or his toughness, but rather his mind:

Ward knows before the Snap that if the defense brings the seven defenders along the line, Miami Eventone cannot block. So he will have to “catch and let go” this shotgun snap if he has a chance to survive. The unblocking defense comes the edge and the neighborhood immediately takes the Snap and replaces thatz with the ball, causing a throw to a fast oblique area that the Blitz punishes.

This is a critical lesson for a young quarterback. Yes, it is nice to be back in a clean pocket with face reduction 3, when it feels like a Thursday evening match of 7-on-7. But you show that you want to blit, you show that you are being blown up because the big games can follow.

Give it reading correctly.

Let’s look at solving problems a quarterback, with two good exams to start with. First, this rapid throw against Virginia Tech is:

The hurricanes have a quad set left and show a smoking screen at one of the Reivers, hoping that they can get the secondary to bite so that Ward can hit one of the deep vertical routes.

But with the hokies that fall into a quarter of the quarter cover, the two vertical routes are removed. So Ward winds a fast, anticipation throw between two under defenders. A quick lecture, a problem solved and a big profit for Miami with a high interest this.

Here is another example of solving a problem against Florida:

Miami wants to hit the spot wheel combination to the right, with the outdoor recuivere running the spot route while the tight end ruined the wheel route. But with covered buts, Ward is forced to his plan C, a postal route in the middle of the field.

With the bag that collapses around him, Ward hangs in it and makes a strong throw for a big win.

Let’s put it all together with this last example:

Again, Ward is confronted with pressure after going through a full-field read. But he turns away from the pressure, holds his eyes down and solves the ultimate problems that confronts a large throw – while rolling to his left side – for a touchdown against the Gators.

The Titans have drawn up a pocket passer that can solve problems and beat pressure, inside and outside the bag. All requirements for the position.

Aggression

Ward’s ability to avoid pressure, to expand plays and solve problems is a bit of a double -cut sword. A blessing and a cursa, if you want.

For many young quarterbacks, one of the first things they have to learn when adapting to life in the NFL that they can get away with and what they can’t do. This will be a critical lesson for the development of Ward.

Sub of his biggest mistakes came to the university when he just tried to do too much, and discovered that he made the problem trying to solve so much bigger for his team.

Take this game Agaless Wake Forest, which comes from a three -point game late in the second quarter. Miami has confronted the lead and the ball, just outside the red zone, with a 2nd-and-15 situation.

Miami calls a middle screen, with a department pumps on a fake to the running back before he is looking for a tight end Eldoh Arroyo. But Wake Forest, in particular defensive end of Jascheen Davis, diagnose this perfectly, put itself straight in the throwing job:

Remember that this is a 2nd-and-15 situation at the Wake Forest 29-Yard line. The right game on this point? Probablay to peat this and live for third place.

Insertion, this happens:

This is a quarterback that tries too hard to make something happen.

Miami against Duke, just over ten minutes left in the fourth quarter, and Miami leads the Blue Devils with eight. Ward and the Hurricanes Face on the 3rd-and-5 situation on the Duke 41-Yard line.

Miami opens with a flat-7 Smash concept on the left, but with Duke that falls in Zone Covenge, both the fast outside and the corner route are covered. Ward HA A window to hit the back in the middle of the field, but with the bag that starts to collapse instead of staying and touching it, he rolls to the right. I have a wanderer time, I have pulled myself back into his own 40-year line, before I let an unclear throw, over his body, over the middle.

So that one of the cardinal sins of Quarterback plays:

Cue de “Vape Pope” Meme van Convlaaf:

You are the kind of mistakes that Ward must learn to avoid in the NFL.

Another example from Miami’s match against California, with the hurricanes walking early in the third quarter at 11 o’clock in a row. This is on a 1st and 10 situation in the Miami area.

Ward opens to go/out of combination to the right of the formation, but with that cover, he starts rolling to his right in an attempt to create.

What he created is another late throw over the middle, in cover, in the other way for a brutal Pick-Six:

Miami survived with a victory of one point, but this is another example of what not to do as a quarterback.

If there is a silver lining for this double -edged sword, it is this: it is easier to read a quarterback to call aggression back than to learn how to call. Trying to learn how you can be an affressive QB is a much more difficult Leon to learn – private in the NFL – than it is to read how you can throw the ball away, manage risks and live sub -times to fight for someone else.

The Titans Nerden asked Ward in this process and hope that he can become their faces of the franchise.

Given his strengths, there is every reason to believe that Ward can become that player. But if his Agragresion a problem remamins, I can eventually become a quartback with a high variance for Tennessee.