Draft expert tabs Miami star as top QB instead of Shedeur Sanders

Miami quarterback Cam Ward could be stealing Shedeur Sanders’ thunder. 

During a Thursday episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, The Atheltic’s Dane Brugler said Ward is the favorite to be the first quarterback drafted in 2025 instead of the Colorado star.

“[Ward’s] 6-foot-2, 225 pounds has electric arm talent and really elusive in the pocket,” Brugler said. “I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve seen from Ward. He was a Wing-T quarterback in high school, [played in the] Air Raid at Incarnate Word and then Washington State. He’s still in an Air Raid offense now, but you see a little more variation.” 

Brugler added he likes Sanders — the son of Buffaloes head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion — but thinks he doesn’t have elite arm strength or physical traits.

Through his first eight starts, Sanders (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) has completed 73.3% of his passes for 2,591 yards, 21 touchdowns, six interceptions and an above-average 165 passer rating. Ward has completed 68% of his passes for 2,746 yards, 24 TDs, five picks and a 174.7 passer rating in eight games.

While Sanders and Ward have produced similar numbers, Tim Bielik of Cleveland.com pointed out the Miami star may have more upside. 

“But Ward is more than capable of being a better pro quarterback than Sanders because he has more pure talent than Sanders,” wrote Bielik. “The question is whether he can round out the rest of his game to let the talent show through.”  

If Ward leads No. 5 Miami (8-0) to its first College Football Playoff appearance, that could give him another edge over Sanders. 

No. 23 Colorado (6-2) probably needs to win the Big 12 to make the CFP. As of Thursday, ESPN’s Football Power Index gives the Buffaloes just an 8.4% chance to win the conference. 

The NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay, so a lot could change before then. Still, don’t be surprised if Ward and Sanders continue to jockey for the QB1 spot.