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Michael F. Florio's scouting reports for rookie quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. Ward and Sanders 2025 fantasy football outlooks and draft profiles
Every year, the focal point of the NFL Draft is the top quarterbacks. While this class fails to bring the depth that last year brought, there are two who are getting the vast majority of hype this year: Cameron Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
These two are sure to go early in the draft and will no doubt be starting sooner rather than later in the NFL. Fans whose teams have an early pick are not the only ones who should be getting to know these QBs. Fantasy players need to know about rookie QBs now more than ever. Or were Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and Caleb Williams not enough proof that rookie QBs matter?
Not only will the QB be a new player in the pool for fantasy, but they will greatly impact an entire offense. It is smart to study up on these players before they are drafted.
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Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Cam Ward is the most physically gifted QB in this draft class. He brings the highest ceiling and is the only prospect in this class who I think has the upside to reach an elite level in the NFL. The first thing that jumps off the screen is Ward’s big arm. He can chuck the ball downfield with ease or dial up the velocity and put the ball on a rope.
Numerous times while taking notes and watching his games, I wrote down that he is just not afraid to make any throw. He is aggressive downfield, which naturally opens up more underneath. Ward takes advantage of that by dumping the ball off and allowing the receiver to pick up YAC. He can work the sideline due to his arm strength.
He can throw from different arm angles, including side-arming the ball with velocity. He is also able to get off quality throws with defenders closing in on him or, at times, even hanging off him. He has a good pocket presence but has a strong enough arm to still be a threat while on the move.
His strong arm is also his biggest negative. There is not a throw Ward cannot make, which often means there is not a throw he will not make, which can lead to him trusting his arm too much at times. He is not afraid to throw into traffic or try and force the ball into the tightest of windows. I am ok with that in a young player, as it can be coached out. It is easier to teach a quarterback when to dial it back a bit than it is to try and teach one how to be aggressive.
Ward is also a good athlete. He is a smooth runner with the ball in his hands, which will naturally lead people to think he will be the next Daniels or Lamar Jackson. While he has the capability of adding yards with his legs, he is more of a run-to-pass quarterback. He keeps his eyes downfield, and if a throw opens up, he will take it. He is more like Caleb Williams in this regard.
Cam Ward making a man miss in the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield, sees defender has his head turned, and throws a dime pic.twitter.com/zmQdtxxfdm
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) March 27, 2025
Also, like Williams, Ward has that playmaker gene that you cannot teach. That stands out on film, such as against Virginia Tech, where Ward avoided a sack, then flipped the ball back for what went for a big gain.
Lastly, I describe Ward as a bit of an in-game troll in the best way possible. He will time his run to the sidelines perfectly to get there at the same time as the DBs. Against Iowa State in the Pop-Tart Bowl, he had a ton of time in the pocket. Ward stood there flat-footed almost as if the play was blown dead before firing the ball. He likes to play with his food and doesn’t lack confidence.
12 Yard run by Cam Ward pic.twitter.com/ANauGYfYOk
— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) August 31, 2024
I compared him to a more mobile Matthew Stafford. I also saw a bit of young Russell Wilson in his game. In last year's class, he would have been behind Williams and Daniels in the same tier as Drake Maye for me. He has the highest ceiling, and while landing spot matters, Ward should be the first quarterback picked in rookie drafts. For redraft, he will be more of a low-end QB2 with an upside.
Stats to Know: Ward finished second amongst this QB class in PFF passer grade. He rated first on deep passes. His 4,556 passing yards ranked second, while his 39 passing TDs led the class. Nine of those TD passes came while under pressure, also the second most. He finished second with 31 big-time throws, and his 6.3 percent big-time throw rate was also second in this class. He finished fourth with 326 rushing yards.
His 7.6 percent big-time throw rate while under pressure ranked third in this class, but his 7.5 percent turnover-worthy plays under pressure were the highest. He led the class in passer rating and was third in big-time throw rate on deep passes. Ward is the best deep-ball thrower in the class.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Shedeur Sanders has some similarities to Ward, but I believe his prospect profile is pretty different. While Ward is a physical specimen with a high ceiling, I believe Sanders brings a very safe floor. He is a very technically sound QB, albeit without elite physical traits.
He has a strong arm, just not elite. While he does not have an elite zip on his throws, he can still make tight-window throws. He does a good job putting the ball in front of his receivers on downfield throws. He is more of an anticipatory thrower.
His calling card may be his touch and accuracy. Not only does he not miss often, but he places the ball in a position where it is easy for the receiver to bring it in. He made a throw against Kansas State, putting the ball exactly where it needed to be with a defender on all of his receivers. He often hits his guys in the hands/chest. When he does miss, it tends to be him putting too much air on a ball and not due to poor accuracy.
.@CUBuffsFootball @ShedeurSanders to @TravisHunterJr Tremendous deep ball accuracy from every platform. Lets go watch the show in Boulder on Friday. #nfldraft #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/znwAw1eLpp
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 1, 2025
The first thing that jumps off the screen while watching him at Colorado is that he is constantly under pressure. He does a good job at times of evading the pressure and is certainly not afraid to throw while knowing he is about to get popped. He did a good job in college of making good throws with a defender in his face or even on him at times.
However, Sanders held onto the ball for a very long time and at times took unnecessary sacks. He took a number of long, drive-killing sacks. Those largely get blamed on the offensive line, and that group clearly did Sanders no favors, but sacks are often on the QB as well. Getting rid of the ball more quickly is something he has to work on.
He can evade pressure with his legs, just not quite as well as Ward. Similar to Ward, Sanders is a good athlete who can use his legs when he chooses. He just often uses them more to evade pressure and give himself and his receivers more time. Even on the move, he is looking to pass first and rush second.
Shedeur Sanders’ 19.9 mph would land him in the top 20% of active NFL QBs for max speed, not quite Lamar/Fields territory, but faster than most starters and certainly fast enough to be a weapon outside of the pocket. #ReelSpeed
🎥 @LordDontLose pic.twitter.com/xYR9p9PbZm
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) April 1, 2025
Sanders has the poise and football IQ that you would expect from the son of a Hall of Famer. He seems ready to come into the NFL and lead an offense. I believe he brings a very safe floor but a limited ceiling, both in real life and in fantasy.
I compared him to Alex Smith, who was a good athlete, accurate, and had arm talent, but just wasn’t the most physically gifted thrower. Smith was able to lead plenty of very successful NFL offenses. I believe if you put Sanders in a favorable situation, he could lead many teams to the playoffs. He also gets compared to Geno Smith often, and I see those similarities.
If he was in last year's draft class, he would have been behind Williams, Daniels, and Maye for me and been atop the J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr. tier.
He is the QB2 in this rookie class in dynasty leagues. For redraft, he will likely be a low-end QB2 or QB3. As I do not expect him to add a ton of yards with his legs, I would look to chase more upside with a QB2 in this format.
Stats to Know: Sanders was the third-ranked passer in terms of PFF grade in this class. His 4,207 passing yards were fourth in this class, while his 37 passing touchdowns were second. He led the class with 44 sacks taken; no one else had more than 34. Despite being constantly under pressure, his 1.3 percent turnover-worthy play rate was the second lowest in the class. He finished third with 332 rushing yards.
It should come as no surprise that Sanders led the class in passing yards (1,168) and touchdowns (12) while under pressure. His 84.1 rating when under pressure was fourth best in this class. He also received the fourth-highest PFF passer grade on deep passes.
Sanders posted the third-most yards (1,223) and second-most touchdowns (14) on deep passes. His 122.2 passer rating on deep passes ranked third, and he did not have a turnover-worthy play on any of his deep attempts.
Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.
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