2025 NFL Draft: Mario Cristobal calls for Cam Ward to be selected first overall

Mario Cristobal made it clear he thought his quarterback Cam Ward should be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Ward is regarded as the top passer in the draft, if you don’t prefer Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. The Miami signal caller could go No. 1 overall but there are arguments for Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter or Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter.

Still, Cristobal is rolling with his guy.

“I think he should be drafted first overall because he’s the best competitor and the best overall player in the country,” Cristobal said on SportsCenter. “And his competitiveness, his way of being, the way he affects the people around them, he’s second to none. I mean, he’s a guy that has changed the profile of our university, elevated everybody around him and I just think he’s a guy that can take a franchise and just elevate it and everybody in it.”

Ward had the best season of his college career this past fall. He’s played at Incarnate Word and Washington State, in addition to Miami.

This past season, he threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 67.2% completion percentage. He also ran for 204 yards and four touchdowns.

“He’s one of a kind,” Cristobal said. “I mean, you would think, he doesn’t lead like a quarterback, he leads more like an offensive lineman, a linebacker. He’s really enthusiastic, tons of energy. He’s very alpha. Now, I mean, if you can’t deal with an alpha, it might not be your thing, but he’s the right kind of alpha where he’ll light a place up, but he’ll also galvanize everybody around him. He’s as special as I’ve ever been around.”

So Cristobal called for the No. 1 selection to be Ward, whether that’s the Tennessee Titans or someone else trading up. Ward himself sent a warning to teams.

“Okay, you’re either going to draft me or you’re not,” Ward told the Associated Press. “If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault. You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that.”

Could Ward have instant success like recent rookie QBs CJ Stroud (2023) and Jayden Daniels (2024)? It’s possible. But he needs to be in the right situation.

The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24th to 26th in Green Bay.