During an appearance on First Take on Wednesday, ESPN Football analyst Louis Riddick, who calls college and NFL games, made a case for Miami quarterback Cam Ward being the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In a recent poll of ESPN NFL reporters, Ward received four votes to three edge over Shedeur Sanders as the top 2025 QB.
Riddick was responding to the comments Ward made earlier this week that NFL teams who do not draft him will regret it. The Tennessee Titans who have the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns who are second and New York Giants picking third all need a QB.
The NFL Mock Draft Database currently projects Ward as number one overall. Tennessee has a decision to make about keeping the pick or potentially trading it. Current Titans starting QB Will Levis was a 2023 second-round pick. Deshaun Watson is the starting QB for Cleveland and the Giants are uncertain at QB entering 2025.
Riddick called Miami's games versus Georgia Tech and South Florida in 2024 and said he saw Ward play with Washington State. Ward would likely have been interviewed by Riddick and his announcing partner Bob Wischusen. The biggest praise from Riddick is in Ward's work ethic.
“This guy is the ultimate consummate leader. … He is very confident in the work that he has put in, and he should be.” @LRiddickESPN says Cam Ward is "worthy" of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft ✍️ pic.twitter.com/njrptOrGYW
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 19, 2025
"Cam Ward's story from his start at Incarnate Word as a zero-star recruit...Goes to Washington State, rips it up...and decides to transfer to Miami...to up his resume....in terms of being able to win it at the highest level because that's what we always judge quarterbacks by. I got to talk to this guy now three different times...Ask Mario Cristobal about the kind of leader that this guy is and what he did to Miami football in the off-season...he took over this program, they said like no one he has ever seen it....and I don't think that's just Hyperbole."Louis Riddick on ESPN First Take
Ward led Miami to the precipice of the College Football Playoff. Miami led the nation, averaging 43.9 points and 537.2 yards per game in 2024. An extremely inconsistent defense ultimately cost Miami a College Football Playoff berth. By multiple measures, Ward had the most productive season by a QB in Miami history.
The praise Riddick gave Ward as a leader and willingness to work hard by being the first one in the building every day is a good indicator of his ability to lead an NFL team. College programs are being run like NFL teams more frequently and QBs play early more often in their collegiate and NFL careers.
Want to see QB’s Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Shough, and Cam Ward all actually THROW at the scouting combine. They will all be in the same group, all throwing to receivers that they aren’t familiar with…which allows the cream to rise to the top. Great QB’s get on the same page…
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) February 17, 2025
Riddick also discussed Ward sitting out the second half of the Pinstripe Bowl loss to Iowa State and was not at all concerned about that. Ward's body of work over five collegiate seasons was more impressive to Riddick than a one-game occurrence. Ward has continually improved throughout his collegiate career.
Riddick discussing Mario Cristobal's statements speaks volumes about Ward. Cristobal doesn't waste words, certainly, when it comes to the culture of the Miami football program. When Cristobal states Ward was a leader for Miami like no one has ever seen, as Riddick states, it is not just hyperbole.