Cameron Ward, QB Washington State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Ward is from Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas. He was a member of the class of 2020 and was not ranked by any major recruiting sites

Cameron Ward transferred from Incarnate Word to Washington State this year, becoming a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Expectations are high for Ward, but he’ll need to master the leap in competition level before winning national awards or entering the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Cameron Ward, QB Washington State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior quarterback from West Columbia, Texas

Background: Ward is from Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas. He was a member of the class of 2020 and was not ranked by any major recruiting sites. Ward threw for over 1,000 yards in his high school senior and junior seasons. In 2018, he completed 72 out of 124 pass attempts for 1,070 yards and seven touchdowns to accompany four rushing scores. His opportunities were limited by Columbia’s Wing-T offense. Ward earned First-Team All-Southern Brazoria County honors at quarterback and was an All-State honorable mention. He was the all-district offensive MVP twice as a basketball player. According to MaxPreps, Ward averaged over 20 points per game as a junior and senior, amassing nearly 600 points in his high school career. Ward has three older siblings, one of which ran track and field at Houston Baptist. He’s related to Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs and former San Diego Chargers defensive back Quentin Jammer. Ward transferred from Incarnate Word to Washington State in 2022.

2021 Production: 13 games, 590 attempts, 384 completions, 4,648 yards, 47 touchdowns, 10 interceptions + 1 rushing touchdown

2020 Production: 6 games, 303 attempts, 183 completions, 2,260 yards, 24 touchdowns, four interceptions + 2 rushing touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 Jerry Rice Award, 2021 First-Team All-Southland Conference, 2021 FCS Second-Team All-American

Pros: Time to throw meets NFL standards, suffered from teammates dropping a lot of his passes, completions that traveled 60 air yards against Southeastern Louisiana (2021) and McNeese State (2021), displays excellent touch on intermediate to deep throws, flashes of completing passes with defenders in his face, quick release, throwing motion looks clean, delivers strikes into small windows with excellent velocity, incredible arm talent, hits receivers in stride, varies release, feet are usually active in the pocket, has enough mobility to extend plays and make defenses pay for leaving him alone in space, looks natural throwing on the run even if his accuracy could improve, flashes of throwing with anticipation, proved he can pick up a new offensive scheme and handle a significant jump in competition

Cons: Competition level faced, 23 fumbles in college, ability to create with his legs is average, short/stout build, some examples of passes being batted at the line of scrimmage, played in an offense with predetermined targets and reads, command of the pocket needs to improve, some lapses in pre-snap reads and post-snap responses are worrisome considering the competition level, his feet get stuck in the ground sometimes which sabotages his lower body mechanics, instances of him driving passes with just his upper body (not using lower body), got away with questionable decisions and lapses in accuracy that will bite him in the FBS

Overview: Ward is unofficially listed at 6'2", 220 lbs. His sudden rise to stardom at Incarnate Word after not having many options during the recruiting process illustrates his immense talent and potential. He operated an air raid offense that generated historic numbers during the 2021 season. Ward’s arm talent was on complete display. He connected on multiple strikes of 60 or more yards while also driving passes into small windows. Ward puts great touch on intermediate to deep passes. He often hit receivers in stride and showed flashes of throwing with anticipation. Unfortunately, there are many concerns that come with projecting Ward to the next level. He’ll need to master a more pro-style offense while developing his pre- and post-snap process. Ward’s mechanics are inconsistent, and his accuracy and decision-making fluctuate.

Overall, it’s extremely difficult to project Ward to the NFL considering his history in the air raid offense and lack of competition against FBS teams. He has elite arm talent, an impressive release, good touch, and enough mobility to generate big plays. However, Ward’s developing pre- and post-snap process and fluctuating accuracy against FCS competition limit his draft projection until we see him perform at Washington State. He might benefit from returning to college in 2023 for his senior year.

Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer in a spread offensive scheme

Round Projection: Early Fourth to Early Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-06-22