Mike Tannenbaum makes case for Cam Ward over Shedeur Sanders as 2025 NFL Draft's QB1

With just under three months until the 2025 NFL Draft, one quarterback is above the others right now for Mike Tannenbaum.

When asked about this draft’s quarterback class on ‘First Take’ on Friday, Mike Tannenbaum went with Miami’s Cam Ward as QB1 for him. That’s with what all Ward brings as part of his game and the ways in which it has improved in college, especially his ability to throw the ball deep and downfield.

“Here’s why I like Cam Ward, guys,” said Tannenbaum. “First of all, he got better and better and better. He’s 6’2, 220.”

“This is ridiculous – he had 74 completions of 20 yards or more,” Tannenbaum noted. “One of the ways that we have to assess quarterbacks in this day and age with so many plays going behind the line of scrimmage is his yards per pass attempt, which is outstanding. It’s 9.5, which is fourth-best in the country. What that tells me is he can get the ball down the field, he can get the ball down the field consistently.”

Ward ended his college career with Incarnate Word, Washington State, and Miami with 18,189 yards, 158 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions on 65% completion. That includes his final season this past year at The ‘U where he was an All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and a finalist for The Heisman Trophy with career-high numbers from his time in the FBS with 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven picks on 67.2% completion.

Again, Ward improved year over year as well as after making the move up from the FCS. His efficiency stayed and went up as well in yards per attempt, yards per completion, completion rate, and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 4.3-1.

Scouts and personnel will evaluate all of the quarterbacks until that first team goes on the clock on April 24th. As of now, though, Tannenbaum is going with Ward as the first one off the board in this draft.

“I just think, when you look at the body of work, the size of the players, the athleticism, the whole package? I would take Cam Ward over Shedeur and kind of flip the order that Mel (Kiper) has it in,” said Tannenbaum.