Joel Klatt reveals why he has Cam Ward as the No. 2 QB in 2025 NFL Draft

Joel Klatt had Miami QB Cam Ward right there in contention as the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft.

On his show on Monday, Klatt ranked Ward at number two in his top-five at the position for this draft. That’s based off what he is as a prospect and his resumé at the college level, especially coming off of his career-best year while at The ‘U.

“I like Cam Ward a lot. I love his game,” said Klatt. “Ward is a bit of a gunslinger, which I like by the way, but he’ll take some chances out there. He’s got a great arm. He will drift away a little bit. He will hold the ball a little bit too long at times. But, man, like, he is the reason Miami was able to do what they were able to do, alright.”

“I love his game. I love his attitude,” Klatt said. “Cam was terrific at Miami.”

However, Klatt had just an aspect of two in Ward that held him back from his top quarterback in Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Those mainly were from “unrefined” pieces of his game with that namely being his style as a triggerman – although that can also be what raises his ceiling as high as anyone’s in this class.

“Now, was it as polished as Shedeur? Maybe not at times. I don’t think he’s as surgical as Shedeur Sanders from the pocket. That’s where I think he’s going to need some growth,” Klatt explained. “If you were to say, like, well, what is Cam to Shedeur? He’s just a bit unrefined because of that gunslinger mentality. I don’t know if he’s ever going to be refined because of that mentality. He will take chances down the field because he trusts himself, which is a great thing. He can trust himself because he’s got a great arm. He delivers passes that are, like, wow passes and plays that are wow plays.”

“It was not an easy choice up here. I went with Shedeur because he’s more pro-ready…(Ward is) not quite as polished. That’s just the name of the game,” continued Klatt. “He presents a bit better upside because of that gunslinger mentality and that strength from an arm perspective getting the ball down the field. He really trusts that – at times a little too much and, like I said, can fall away and drift away. At the next level, you’ve got to be careful doing that because that can lead to turnovers.”

Still, like many analysts have thought ahead of this draft, Klatt has it only being a debate between Sanders and Ward among the quarterbacks.

“Truth be told, the whole discussion between one and two was between two guys and there really wasn’t a close third. So there is a clear top-two in this draft,” said Klatt. “These two guys have clearly separated themselves out and these two guys will absolutely get selected in the first five picks of the NFL Draft.”

Ward has as much as a case as anyone to even be the No. 1 pick overall, let alone just at quarterback, come April. Klatt, though, just thinks, despite loving his game too, he’s in need of just a little more work that’ll keep him from that top spot in the draft.

“I went with Cam at number two. I love him getting selected in the first five picks, probably in the top-three picks, maybe even number one overall if Tennessee wants to take him up there,” said Klatt. “Great upside. Just needs a little bit of polish. That’s all I would say. Like I said, really good player. Love him and I would absolutely take him in the first few picks.”