Cam Ward already giving Titans fans draft nightmares thanks to Shedeur Sanders

The Tennessee Titans went with consensus (more or less) and selected Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After months of debate between Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Ward became the runaway pick. Sanders fell all the way to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.

Ward checks a lot of boxes that today's NFL appreciates. He's a legitimate dual-threat option, comfortable extending plays outside the pocket and improvising beyond the offensive script. He has a strong arm. Ward led the most explosive offensive in college football, averaging an ACC-best 9.5 yards per reception and throwing 39 touchdowns compared to only seven interceptions. He would've won the Heisman if Miami had anything resembling a competent defense.

Most Titans fans were thrilled with the Ward pick, but this was labeled as a weak quarterback draft early in the process. In addition to Sanders, the Titans passed on "better" prospects like Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter in order to address football's most important position. That is not an uncommon strategy, but there is immense pressure on Ward to deliver franchise-altering results.

The early reports out of training camp are... well, they ain't great.

Cam Ward struggles for second straight day at Titans training camp

Ward put together his "second bad day in a row" at camp, per NFL reporter Paul Kuharsky. The defense "did a lot to mess with him" and low passes are "one thing to keep an eye on" as Ward adjusts to the pressures of NFL competition.

Don't want to take a reporter's word for it? Ward has been blunt with reporters about the state of the Tennessee offense.

"I just think we're very mid right now," he said.

Even the Madden folks seem to smell something fishy. Ward's official rookie rating is 71, below even fourth-round pick Cam Skattebo. Quarterback is a tough position, but man. The "hype" around Ward is reaching a concerning dead zone.

Madden ratings are a useless metric, but compare the vibes around Ward in Tennessee to the vibes around Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland, and the difference is stark.

Shedeur Sanders is lapping Cam Ward in positive training camp buzz

It feels like every day brings a new report along the lines of "Shedeur Sanders tore up the first defense with surgical precision."

Does any of that matter if Sanders is fourth on the depth chart? Maybe not. Ward is getting first team reps and has already been elevated to QB1 in Tennessee. He is therefore under a slightly different microscope, even if Sanders' longstanding celebrity status gives him pressure of his own to deal with. Ward is expected to learn the offense and deliver wins on day one. Sanders is just competing for the backup gig.

Still, there's a reason Sanders was considered a potential No. 1 pick for so long, even if NFL teams ultimately disagreed. He was a more polished and efficient passer than Ward in college. He may lack the arm strength and live-wire athleticism, but Sanders' record-setting completion rate was a strong indicator of his IQ and processing speed. He knows how the play the game.

If Ward comes out of the gate slow and Sanders keeps impressing folks behind the scenes in Cleveland, just be prepared for the narrative spinning to get out of hand — whether it's deserved or not.

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