Cam Ward knew every set of eyes in the building was on him. For 45 minutes, the Miami quarterback went through his entire repertoire of throws: short, deep, slants, sideline routes, even some sidearm ones.
And the last play was a trick one — he caught a touchdown pass from receiver Xavier Restrepo.
Ward put on a show. In a month, he’ll find out if it was enough.
With all 32 NFL teams watching — including the Tennessee Titans, the team holding the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft and one that sent virtually all their decision-makers to Coral Gables — Ward was the closing act at Miami’s pro day on Monday, with expectations growing that the Heisman Trophy finalist who rewrote the Hurricanes‘ record book last season could be the first overall pick when the draft starts April 24.
It was the first time Ward has thrown publicly since his college finale, a first-half appearance for Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl back in December. He didn’t throw at the NFL Combine last month, saying he wanted to wait until Miami’s pro day when he could throw to “the best receiving corps in the country.”
“He’s one of one,” Miami coach Mario Cristobal said.
But will he be No. 1?
In Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt’s latest NFL mock draft, he had Ward going No. 1 to Tennessee.
But, that’s up to the Titans to decide.
Tennessee sent what seemed like the entire front office to watch Ward. The list included football operations president Chad Brinker, head coach Brian Callahan, general manager Mike Borgonzi, assistant general manager Dave Ziegler, vice president and football advisor Reggie McKenzie, offensive coordinator Nick Holz and quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree.
Ward was even chatting with some of the Titans’ staff between throws, smiling as he walked away to get ready for the next play. He had more conversations with some members of the Titans’ contingent when the workout was over as well.
Ward ended his college career with a Division I (FBS and FCS level) record 158 touchdown passes. His total of 18,189 passing yards — 6,908 at Incarnate Word, 6,968 at Washington State and 4,313 at Miami — is third-most in NCAA history behind only Case Keenum and Dillon Gabriel.
He rewrote Miami’s record book in 2024, his lone season with the Hurricanes. He left the school as Miami’s single-season leader in yards, completions (305), touchdown passes (39) and completion percentage both for a season and a career, at 67.2%.
Ward, barring something very surprising, would be the first Miami player taken in the first round of an NFL draft since Jaelan Phillips went 18th and Greg Rousseau went 30th in 2021. Ward would also be Miami’s first offensive player taken in a first round since tight end David Njoku in 2017 and could be Miami’s third No. 1 overall pick — joining quarterback Vinny Testaverde in 1987 and defensive lineman Russell Maryland in 1991.
Reporting by The Associated Press
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