When Chase Daniel watches Cam Ward’s film, he marvels at some of the throws. The Miami quarterback can go through his progressions and place a seam ball over a linebacker’s head and in front of the safety in a way that Daniel has “never seen before.”
It’s why, despite being down on this year’s quarterback class overall, Daniel, who spent 13 seasons as an NFL QB, is eager to see the potential No. 1 overall pick at the next level.
“He’s got the qualities to be a franchise quarterback,” the co-host of FS1’s “The Facility” said. “I don’t think we have seen Cam Ward’s ceiling, and I do think that he can get a lot better.”
Daniel offered his thoughts on Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, and some of the other quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class.
Most of the draft community looks at this year’s quarterback class as Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and then everyone else. Jaxson Dart has garnered some hype, too. How do you view the group?
Daniel: “This is not a great top-end quarterback class. If you were to take Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders and put them in last year’s draft, they’d probably be QB6 or 7. … So I do think those two [Ward and Sanders] will probably get taken higher. And I do think Cam Ward should go No. 1. I do think he’s got the qualities to be a franchise quarterback.
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“Same with Shedeur, right? Shedeur is a classic drop-back passer. If you were to put Shedeur in the NFL eight years ago, when it was just about pocket passing, I think he’d be a really, really [coveted] draft pick. He’s not super athletic. He takes a lot of sacks. Doesn’t throw the ball down the field a ton. I still think he’s got a lot of good game to him. … His ceiling, I just don’t know how much higher it can get, but that goes back to fit and system.
“I do love Jaxson Dart. I don’t think there’s any way that Jaxson Dart makes it out of round one because there are some good teams at the middle and the bottom of round one that need a quarterback, like the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t know if Jaxson Dart is a top-10 talent, but I do think in the right system, with the right offensive coordinator, he can be successful. And he’s really sneaky athletic. Running the ball, he reminds me a little bit of Bo Nix, what he did at Oregon. I think his athleticism is underrated. I think his arm strength is underrated too. Now, he’s got to get over the fact that he was in Lane Kiffin’s offense that can put up points; teams are going to want to see him understand their play-action stuff. He’s got really good vision in the pocket, and I do think he throws a really catchable football.
“So I do expect at least three quarterbacks to be taken in the first round.”
What is the skill set that Cam Ward has that makes him a potential franchise quarterback in your eyes?
Daniel: “I like what he can do, not only creating in the pocket and getting out of the pocket on the run, but when I do see him create, it’s not to run. He keeps his eyes down the field better than really anyone in this draft. I love that. You have to be able to move. But he can also do it in the pocket. He can go 1-2-3 [in his progressions], throw a seam ball over a linebacker’s head and in front of a safety like I’ve never seen before.
“The arm talent, when you watch it on tape, it really jumps out. … I’m like, ‘Man, how do you make that throw?’ Very rarely am I watching film or tape on Cam Ward and say, ‘Oh my gosh, what is he doing?’ You see it with these other [quarterbacks]. Like, ‘Oh my gosh, what are they doing’ plays. You see it with Jaxson Dart. Sometimes, when Shedeur holds the ball, it’s like ‘No! This is not it.’
“So I do think the sky is sort of the limit with Cam Ward. So I’m excited to see him play.”
Some draft pundits have viewed Ward as having more upside, while saying Sanders has the higher “floor.” Do you see it the same? Do you see Ward as a boom-or-bust type of prospect?
Daniel: “This is really with any quarterback: You got to put good pieces around him. I really don’t see any of these quarterbacks elevating a franchise to a playoff level in the first year. That’s just not realistic. And I think the microscope is on these two because these two have sort of separated themselves.
“I’m a little worried with Shedeur’s arm strength. Not saying he can’t throw it, but that matters in the NFL. And that’s just how I see it when I’m watching film.
“I don’t really think it’s a boom-or-bust [situation]. With first-round picks and quarterbacks, everyone reaches for them. Without a doubt, the top two talents in the draft are not quarterbacks. And quite honestly, it’s not even close. It’s Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter. And then there’s sort of really everyone else in my opinion.
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“You’ve got the edge rusher from Texas A&M [Shemar Stewart]. You’ve got the tackle from Missouri [Armand Membou]. You have the tackle from LSU [Will Campbell]. Some other guys in there as well. If you’re just ranking pure prospect level, [Ward and Sanders] are in the teens in terms of draft prospect level. But like I said, everyone thinks they can fix quarterbacks, and everyone always reaches for quarterbacks in the draft.”
Apart from the headliners, who is the quarterback in this class that intrigues you the most?
Daniel: “Kyle McCord, easy. From Syracuse. … I like his game a lot. His footwork, the way he drops, the way he throws, reminds me of Baker Mayfield. Not on the same level of arm talent, but I do think he throws on time and he threw for a ton of yards last year. … He threw a ton of touchdowns, played on time, didn’t turn the ball over a ton. The physical traits just don’t stand out like these other guys.
“Am I saying he’s a Kirk Cousins guy, where you find him in round four and it takes a few years? Maybe not that, but I have seen traits in his game that could translate.”
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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