Cameron Ward, QB Washington State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Ward is a member of the class of 2020 from Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas
Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward has one of the best arms for any quarterback in the past several draft classes. The former Incarnate Word transfer could solidify himself as a first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with a strong showing in 2023.
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Cameron Ward, QB Washington State: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Fourth-year junior quarterback from West Columbia, Texas
Background: Ward is a member of the class of 2020 from Columbia High School in West Columbia, Texas. He 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.
Injuries & Off-Field: Ran the Cameron Ward Youth Football Camp in 2023 for 200 campers (free for ages 8-17)
Awards: 2020 Jerry Rice Award, 2021 First Team All-Southland Conference, 2021 FCS Second Team All-American, 2022 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12
Pros: Significant development mechanically and mentally since high school, arm strength is off the charts, arm talent to drive the ball into small windows outside the numbers, easily flicks the ball 45 yards downfield without even getting feet set, accesses throws more than 60 yards downfield, ball explodes off his hand with excellent velocity, throws tight spirals, ball comes off his hand with pop, instances of excellent touch on deep throws, layers the ball between second and third-level defenders with touch, some really pretty deep throws that lead receivers to space and away from DBs, quick release, throws from different arm angles and slots, fires the ball out in the quick game, gets the ball out in a hurry when pressured, aligns his shoulders with his target, springs a key run every now and then, playmaker mentality, creates second-chance opportunities when the play breaks down, comfortable throwing on the run, enough mobility to escape the pocket and extend plays, delivers throws in the face of pressure, makes defenders miss in the pocket, untapped upside as a runner, instances of working through full-field progressions dating back to Incarnate Word, good salesmanship of ball fakes with the RB, 2022 offensive line didn’t protect him well, wide receivers at both schools let Ward down with drops
Cons: Ball security, 32 fumbles in the past three years, late to sense backside pressure, field vision doesn’t always reveal lurking defenders baiting interceptions, stares down targets, sometimes gets stuck on one route while working through progressions, trusts his arm too much attempting to squeeze throws into tight windows, steady number of passes batted down at the line, Incarnate Word and Washington State rely heavily on air raid concepts, some pre-determined reads and throws, limited snaps taken under center, appeared to have fewer full-field reads at Washington State than Incarnate Word, needs to throw with better touch on short routes, feet get bogged down or hoppy, throws off his back foot unnecessarily, doesn’t set his feet and drive through throws, better lower body mechanics and weight transfer could maximize velocity, retreats too far in the pocket, doesn’t consistently set his base, accuracy issues might be corrected with better footwork, several overthrows in 2022, not enough speed to carry the ball often, hit-or-miss on escaping from athletic pass rushers, tries to extend the play when he should just throw the ball away, playmaker mentality can backfire
Overview: Ward possesses one of the strongest arms in college football. His power allows him to access throws more than 60 yards downfield, and he easily flicks the ball 45 yards downfield without even setting his feet. His arm talent is also very impressive. Ward drives the ball into small windows outside the numbers and has the explosive velocity to rip shots to the far sideline. There are instances where the Incarnate Word transfer applies excellent touch on deep throws, dropping the ball over his receiver’s shoulder. He also layers the ball between second and third-level defenders with touch. Ward is improving at leading his receivers to space and away from defensive backs on deep throws. He uses various arm angles and slots depending on the play. Ward’s release in the quick game or when pressured is instantaneous. He lacks elite mobility and will struggle to escape from athletic NFL edge rushers, but he breaks a key run every now and then. Ward’s mobility allows him to extend plays, and that’s the phase of the game where his creativity and playmaker mentality shine. Of course, that mentality can sometimes backfire and lead Ward to extend plays instead of just throwing the ball away, but it also generates some massive gains. Ward excels at creating second-chance opportunities when the play breaks down and frequently throws on the run in these situations. He has enough mobility and suddenness to make defensive linemen miss in the pocket and escape. Ward delivers big time throws in the face of pressure and might even have some untapped upside as a runner. Incarnate Word and Washington State rely heavily on air raid concepts, but there were instances of Ward working through full-field reads dating back to his days with the Cardinals. However, he had fewer of those opportunities with the Cougars. NFL teams will wonder how his use of predetermined throws and lack of snaps under center will translate. Ward is an excellent salesman with the ball, but his ball security must improve. He has 32 fumbles in the past three years, largely from playing hero ball and not sensing backside pressure. The Texas native hasn’t worked with many NFL-caliber receivers or linemen, and his supporting cast didn’t set him up for success in 2022. However, Ward still needs to improve in several areas. His field vision doesn’t always reveal lurking defenders baiting interceptions, and he sometimes stares down targets or struggles to come off a route while reading the field. These post-snap processing issues must be corrected for Ward to take the next step. He’s guilty of trusting his arm too much and attempting to squeeze throws into tight windows when he shouldn’t. He still unnecessarily throws off his back foot instead of setting his base and stepping into throws. Ward overcomes these lower body mechanical issues with his rocket arm, but his footwork limits his accuracy, touch, and velocity. The fourth-year quarterback can help his accuracy and avoid pressure from edge rushers by stepping up in the pocket more often instead of continuously retreating backward. Ward has shown significant development over his three collegiate seasons. His previous dramatic upward trajectory bodes well for his second season at the FBS level. Plus, indications point to him being a hard-working, high-character prospect who is willing to give back to his community through events like the Cameron Ward Youth Football Camp.
Overall, Ward’s top plays are awe-inspiring and shine a light on his arm talent and ability to create when the play breaks down, but his down-to-down consistency, ball security, and post-snap recognition skills need more seasoning. Ward has the potential to be a first round quarterback if he takes the next step in 2023. As it is, he’s worth a top 100 selection as a developmental prospect.
Role & Scheme Fit: Pocket passer with scrambling upside in a spread offense
Round Projection: Third Round
Size: 6'2", 220 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 03-17-23