As the 2025 NFL Draft inches closer, scouts and analysts continue to try and peg Cam Ward's effectiveness at the next level. ESPN analyst and former quarterback Dan Orlovsky sees a lot of Baker Mayfield in his game.
While Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, was initially seen as a bust, he is currently thriving with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Orlovsky believes Ward's quick throwing motion emulates that part of Mayfield's game.
“For me, Cam Ward reminds me a lot of Baker Mayfield,” Orlovsky said on ‘The Pat McAfee Show.' “What I mean by that is, there is a loose element to his game, but a twitchy element to his game where that ball comes out. Once his eyes tell him throw it, it happens fast. That's a trait I love in quarterback play. That was the thing with Jayden Daniels. How quick he played.”
"The thing that got me so much more excited about Cam Ward is what he does from the pocket..
Tennessee should be taking him with the first pick of the draft" ~ @danorlovsky7 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/g2DWvikZic
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 4, 2025
Beyond their play on the field, Ward and Mayfield's path to the league share a lot of similarities. Both began their collegiate careers as walk-ons before fully taking off after transferring. Both also ended as Heisman candidates in their final season. However, while Ward did not win the award, Mayfield was voted as the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner.
Orlovsky also declared his belief that the Tennessee Titans should take Ward with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Titans are not yet sold on either Ward or Shedeur Sanders and are reportedly open to trading the pick if the right offer comes along.
Article Continues BelowCam Ward continuing to stand out among 2025 NFL Draft class

The 2025 NFL Draft class remains without a bonafide top prospect, but Ward continues to separate himself as that guy. Reports suggest scouts left the NFL Combine believing Ward is the clear-cut top quarterback of the class, over Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
Yet, even one month ahead of the draft, Ward's first NFL team remains up in the air. The quarterback-needy Titans are the favorites to select him at No. 1, but the New York Giants have emerged as potential trade candidates. After losing out on Matthew Stafford, the Giants have significantly increased their pursuit of their next signal-caller, both in free agency and the draft.
In addition to the Giants, the Jets are also rumored to be interested in potentially offering the Titans a trade for the top pick. Should either team trade up for the No. 1 pick, it would presumably be for Ward. Both New York franchises are in need of a new quarterback.