Beyond Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, no one knows who will be part of the Round 1 QB group in the 2024 NFL Draft. Could Washington State’s Cameron Ward become a first-round sleeper after a strong start to his 2023 campaign? Let’s take a closer look.
Washington State’s Cameron Ward, Fast and Furious in 2023
The Pac-12 is loaded with future NFL signal callers. Everyone knows Williams from USC. And elsewhere, passers like Colorado’s Shedule Sanders, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix have all been mentioned in early-round discussions of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Nevertheless, there is another QB to add to these candidates, and that is Washington State’s Ward.
Ward performed well in his first season at Washington State in 2022. He completed 320 of 497 pass attempts for 3,232 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a redshirt sophomore after transferring from FCS program Incarnate Word.
Ward opted to return to school for the 2023 campaign and has shown significant year-over-year improvement in just four games. To begin 2023, Ward has completed 105 of 141 attempts (74.5%) for 1,389 yards, 13 touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Cougars QB has had a perfect start to the year, completing 28 of 34 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns in Week 4 against Oregon State.
In this week’s 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Spotlight, we take a closer look at Ward’s performance against Oregon State and pinpoint some of the traits and developments that make him an early-round QB candidate.
Scouting Spotlight: How has Ward improved in 2023?
Ward is a young QB who is still developing, but has always been solid in certain areas of his game.
First and foremost, Ward is a high-level creator who works for himself. He doesn’t have great speed or pure running value, but is very agile and fluid with good change of direction, short-area twitching, and hip flexibility.
In addition to these mobility characteristics, Ward also has quantitatively better arm elasticity. He can freely adjust his arm angle to manipulate his launch trajectory and pitch window, which also helps him maintain speed and accuracy off the platform.
The plays below show all of the aforementioned qualities, to varying degrees, as Ward turns pressure into a solid gain on first down.
Well, this is vintage Cameron Ward. The roots of his appeal date back to the days of the Incarnate Word.
Smooth ball handling, quick hip flexibility and effortless ability off the platform. Look at how steady his eyes and shoulders are as he turns out of the pocket. pic.twitter.com/6ZkTc0HLym
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 3, 2023
Ward is agile, fluid, and adaptable. And even more impressive is the stability of the shoulders and head when changing direction and running into the apartment. That has always been the biggest selling point of Ward’s game, his ability to create and off-platform.
However, in Week 4, Ward did most of his damage in the pocket as a pocket operator. He excited the evaluators, who expected to see more maturity and discretion from him in this year’s structure.
Of course, technical and mental maturity as a passer often comes as a byproduct of gaining more experience. But there are other qualities of QB play that are unlocked by mental and mechanical maturity. Accuracy, situational accuracy, and prediction, among others.
All of these traits were on full display in Ward’s fourth week of screenings. Start by playing below. A quick drop isolates Ward’s right perimeter WR in spread formations in one-on-one matchups. Ward quickly identifies the one-on-one and provokes a throw at the top of the drop.
More: Top QBs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Ward’s decision-making is a great element of this play, but it’s his anticipation that’s really exciting. This isn’t a very complex play, but anticipating both placement and break is a key element of his 50-50 pass, and Ward does that very well here.
He expects the WR to break back to the ball and allows the WR to manipulate the DB and commit upfield.
In some cases, manipulating the passing game is all about isolating one-on-one matchups and giving the WR a chance with effective timing and accuracy.
Cameron Ward does a great job anticipating the back shoulder placement here. pic.twitter.com/uZ85cqNPuY
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 3, 2023
The next pitch is another great example of Ward’s expectations crossing the line. This time it’s a high pressure situation.
It’s third-and-10, and Washington State will need to maintain its momentum to keep Oregon State from closing the gap with a 14-7 lead.
Ward takes the snap. It’s a 3 stage drop, then a hitch. Then he fires. Ward doesn’t waste time and doesn’t hold onto his ball for too long. This is something he did far too often in 2022.
He quickly identified an isolated one-on-one on the right side and released the football well before the WR could begin to break back toward the ball. Ward’s efficient timing and anticipation maximizes the WR’s space after the catch, ultimately resulting in a first down leading to a touchdown.
Another great interior exhibit by Cameron Ward — 3rd and 10th as well.
Again, separate one-on-one matchups on the boundary. Step up in the pocket, anticipate the break, and release before the WR can take his stride back. pic.twitter.com/QDmEXpASHQ
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 3, 2023
In 2022, Ward is living off his creative abilities, but he also fails at times. He could sometimes be indecisive in the pocket and hold the ball too long, thereby creating uncomfortable situations that required his creativity to correct.
Ward has been more effective working out of the pocket and as a pocket passer this year, which is very exciting. Because he has the talent with his arm and the situational accuracy to cut through defenses from that area.
Now, if you pay attention to the play below, you’ll see Ward use his situational precision and newfound mechanical control to win another 50-50 chance.
Once again, Ward identifies a one-on-one matchup on the perimeter. At the top of the drop, he leans his shoulders up to add loft to the pass. And with a sharp release, he can drop the ball into a narrow bucket down the field.
Sure, the pass is right behind the WR. However, Ward knows it will be difficult for DB to bounce back as they are one step behind in release. He uses his DB’s blocked line of sight to his advantage and forces the WR to make plays.
Cameron Ward makes a bucket throw on numbers from the opposite hash, controlling his shoulder tilt to loft the pass over the trailing defender. pic.twitter.com/maoE6o6JaQ
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 3, 2023
The next pitch similarly shows opportunity identification and situational accuracy. But this game, Ward’s final touchdown of the game, is especially fascinating because it combines some of the elasticity of his arm with some of his angular freedom to make the play happen.
The framework of the play remains the same. Borderline one-on-one. Ward’s quick and decisive throw. But this time, he barely added any shoulder tilt to the pass. Instead, look at the angle of his arm upon release.
Ward mostly sidearmed this throw to get it down. Doing so allows him to build on his pace and touch while putting the ball past trailing defenders.
The ball has enough speed to pass by, fast enough to interfere with the defender’s play, but fall within the reach of the WR, where only he can catch it.
This type of elite situational accuracy is only afforded to QBs with a certain tier of compound arm talent. And Ward has that kind of elasticity that wraps around his entire arm.
Last year he was a little reckless and inconsistent with his usage. But this year, his improved discipline and decision-making combined with arm resilience in the pocket has been devastating for defenses.
Cameron Ward scored his fourth and final touchdown of the day against Oregon State. Yet another clinic on the accuracy of the situation.
I especially like how he uses an obtuse arm angle to get under the throw and layer it on top of the trailing DB. pic.twitter.com/USqItfzV7K
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 3, 2023
The best part is that Ward knows he’s legit.
Looking at the throws shown so far, it’s clear that Ward is willing to test tight windows. But the Week 4 window couldn’t have been tighter than the one below. It’s a slot fade with virtually no space to work with.
This is near-perfect coverage from defenders, and Ward still manages to hammer the ball into microscopic pockets that only WRs can reach. Moreover, the pass arcs over the defender’s shoulders and avoids all kinds of obstacles.
Ward could have done a better job looking forward on the dropback to maintain the safety, but that’s the only problem with this play.
This throw perfectly captures the energy of “I am that person.” A QB must always be a prudent decision maker, but only the best of his QBs, those with the requisite arm talent and risk propensity, are willing to take this kind of calculated gamble. Masu.
Ward knows he has the arm talent to make this throw. He doesn’t hesitate. And he proves himself right.
This throw by Cameron Ward is ridiculous.
Decision making is not just about minimizing negative outcomes. It’s also about having the confidence to take the risks you *know* you’re capable of taking.
This is a pitch of pure confidence with absolute perfection. pic.twitter.com/YCqdSEp8Ez
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) October 3, 2023
Ward still has things to improve on. There was a ball security issue against Oregon State that resulted in Ward slipping through a gap in the field and getting exposed. Overall, he can still be a little more disciplined when doing multi-progression reads.
More: Brock Bowers is the best player in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Kyle Pitts suggests he shouldn’t be selected high
But overall, what the District has shown in 2023 is very promising. He has always had elite arm elasticity and high-level creative ability that makes him an interesting QB candidate. But in 2023, it looks like he’ll take the next step.
Ward is becoming a true early-round QB talent, and if he can outperform Nix, Sanders, and Penix in the future, he could solidify his status as a potential Round 1 passer.
Listen to the PFN Scouting Podcast
Get listed on the PFN Scouting Podcast! Click on the embedded player below to listen, or find the PFN Scouting Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review. Would you rather watch it instead? Check out the PFN Scouting Podcast on the Scouting YouTube Channel.