Cam Ward opens up on banter between him, Shedeur Sanders over No. 1 pick

Over the past few months, debate has raged regarding whether Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders should be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, and in turn, the likely first overall pick.

The duo have cultivated a competitive yet friendly relationship, and there’s been some banter between the two players as to which one of them should be selected before the other. While speaking with the media during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Ward shed some light on the time he spends with Sanders, and why the future is bright for both of them.

“I just think the work that me and him are willing to put in, the relationship that we have to constantly compete each and every day, to better our craft for ourselves, I just think is going to pay off for us in the long run,” Ward stated, regarding the effort the quarterback duo puts in to hone their craft, via Easton Freeze of AtoZ Sports Nashville.

All told, Ward and Sanders push each other to be better, and they even joke a bit about which one of them should be picked higher in the NFL Draft. Still, Ward recognizes that it’s only half the battle, and the real journey begins when their rookie season kicks off.

“We play around, we joke around with it. It really doesn’t mean anything,” the former Miami signal-caller elaborated. “The draft pick will never mean anything. At the end of the day, you’ve got to show whether you prove it each and every Sunday.

“You can’t just show it one year, and show up the next year. You’ve got to show up every time you step on the field.”

Even if Ward isn’t overly concerned with his draft position, his former head coach in Mario Cristobal believes he should be the first player selected. He’s certainly in Ward’s corner, as the idea is picking up steam at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.

“I think he should be drafted first overall because he’s the best competitor and the best overall player in the country,” Cristobal said, via 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.”

Whichever one of Ward or Sanders is picked won’t be a defining factor in the long run, and the duo recognizes that. Still, the future is bright for both players, and they’ll forever be compared to one another moving forward.