QB Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans Offense

The Miami Hurricanes are again within the no.1 general image with QB Cam Ward going 1st to the Tennessee Titans within the 2025 NFL Draft. The ‘Canes hadn’t seen a participant drafted 1st general since Russell Maryland went to the Dallas Cowboys within the 1991 NFL Draft. Maryland and the Boys gained three Tremendous Bowls collectively within the 90’s.

Previous to ‘91, Miami QB Vinny Testaverde went first within the 1987 NFL Draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Titans / Houston Oilers have drafted first general now 3 times in franchise historical past.

Clearly Ward was taken first in 2025 as a Titan. RB Earl Campbell was taken first in 1978 and DE John Matuszak in 1971- each as Oilers. Campbell is within the NFL Corridor of Fame and Matuszak went on to win two Tremendous Bowls with the Raiders.

The place does Ward match into the Titans image? The Titans are coached by Brian Callahan who’s in his first stint as an NFL head coach. Callahan coached the Titans to a 3-14 document in ‘24 which earned the franchise the highest decide in ‘25. Callahan got here to the Titans from the Cincinnati Bengals the place he served because the tutor for a rookie QB in Joe Burrow.

Callahan and Burrow teamed as much as get the Bengals to Tremendous Bowl LVI, the place the staff misplaced to the LA Rams. Callahan does nevertheless have a hoop from his time as an offensive assistant with the Denver Broncos in Tremendous Bowl 50 beneath Gary Kubiak.

Picture by Joe Sargent/Getty Pictures

Callahan has been round a rookie QB in Burrow, but additionally veteran passers in Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions).

Ward shall be coached by Callahan and his offensive coordinator Nick Holz. Holz has labored beneath Jim Harbaugh, David Shaw, Brian’s dad Invoice Callahan, and Jon Gruden whereas additionally having coached a younger QB in Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Picture by Ethan Miller/Getty Pictures

QB coach Bo Hardegree is in his eleventh season as an NFL assistant and is nicely traveled having labored for seven franchises because the 2014 season. Hardegree has coached Jay Cutler, Peyton Manning, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Darnold, Mac Jones and Derek Carr.

Callahan, Holz and Hardegree at the moment are tasked with teaching up one other rookie QB in Miami’s Cam Ward after the Will Levis experiment went sideways in 2024. Levis was a 2nd spherical decide within the ‘23 NFL Draft and has a document of 5-16 in 21 begins whereas throwing 21 TD’s and 16 INT’s.

We’ll check out the Will Levis tape from ‘24 the place this teaching trio was collectively in Tennessee. Levis will greater than probably be traded through the draft to clear the trail for Ward to start out the season because the clear alternative at QB1.

The Titans have Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett at WR with Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard at RB to provide Ward a restricted variety of weapons. Possibly with a commerce of Levis they’ll add expertise round Ward for his rookie season. Levis additionally struggled with go safety final yr being sacked eight occasions towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

Will Levis

Above– Three man vertical idea with some late pick-check downs. Levis fires it into a good window. He has an enormous arm and might hit these intermediate throws into tight spots very like Ward can.

Above– Again foot, late, a number of hitches in his set-up however Levis does put it in additional of a “me or nobody” spot than different throws. You may see what the Titans are asking of him- use your uncooked expertise and make performs. That may very well be an actual constructive for Ward’s model of play.

Above– 10 and 15 yard outs are the NFL must-make throws. Levis nails this one between two defenders on a hi-low learn. We’ve seen Ward do that stuff with Xavier Restrepo at Miami.

Above– Ward shall be working beneath heart extra within the NFL, it’s only a reality of the professional recreation. He’ll actually need to grasp his ‘again flip’ play-action recreation to be able to succeed. That’s a ton of visual-cognitive-motor work by yourself time. Get used to your eyes coming off and again onto targets which is the next threat on the faculty stage.

Above– This looks like a Ward particular right here the beneath heart play-action and hitting the TE. I believe Ward has a greater play pretend than Levis reveals right here however Levis does place the ball nicely at occasions.

Above– Again shoulder throws with good ball placement needs to be a simple factor for Ward. He’s proven that means in faculty and it ought to proceed to be a power for him. They’re all about ball placement within the league.

Above– Play-action, half roll away, and an enormous deep crossing route like y-cross for a TD. Nice arc, placement and arm power right here from Levis.

I get the upside on Levis however we’re moving into the draw back subsequent. The boneheaded performs are a factor of legend for Levis within the NFL.

Above– Right here’s your play-action and again flip that goes mistaken. The minute your eyes are off the defenders your OODA Loop is stalled by your individual design. Now the QB has to get their eyes again on the defender or house and right here Levis doesn’t see the DB baiting him.

Above– That is the goofy stuff which you can’t afford to do within the purple zone on third down within the NFL. Pushing your self out of a 4th down strive, and probably out of a simple FG try if it goes actually badly. We’ve seen Ward take these kind of sacks right here or there at Miami, extra so at Washington State.

Above– Right here’s the place the hero ball stuff fails Levis. Generally you must simply dwell to combat one other day. You could have a one level lead within the 4th quarter. Take the sack, punt it away, play protection. As an alternative it goes ugly fast.

Cam Ward

Above– The identical out route we checked out from Levis works right here however down by the tip zone to Restrepo.

Above– Deep change idea comes open and Ward drops that factor between two defenders for a TD.

Above– If the Titans need to wrinkle in some third stage RPO’s Ward could make these trows. Right here’s a pleasant Look off the run motion for a 1st down.

Above– The deep crossing route we noticed from Levis is on show right here with Ward. The throws Callahan needs Ward to make have already been on movie, simply at a decrease stage of competitors in comparison with the professionals.

Above– Ball placement is essential and right here Ward places it the place solely George can attain it. That is out of bounds or a TD kind of throw.

Above– Very like we noticed with Levis that inside escape folds up and is stopped for a sack.

Above– Right here we see the hero ball stuff that’s going to harm Ward if he can’t lower down on this within the NFL. He can keep similar facet on a deep late throw however again over the center throughout the physique is a horrible resolution.

Above– That is extra hero ball gone mistaken. His NFL coaches shall be on him about this kind of stuff and the right way to play unfastened like Patrick Mahomes however inside the confines of a west coast leaning offense. Callahan likes excessive proportion QB’s (Ward) that defend the soccer (generally Ward, however definitely not Levis).

The Wrap

For all of Levis’ boneheaded errors, he didn’t get quite a lot of assist alongside the way in which. Ward should study to be extra of a examine down and take what’s given man and fewer of a hero ball QB within the NFL.

The Titans actually need to leverage a veteran backup QB to take the begins off of Ward till the bye week. Possibly a Levis commerce can open up a draft decide and a backup QB with one other staff. Both method with the Titans O-Line struggling and their lack of key playmakers it’ll be a tough yr one for whoever is behind heart in ‘25.

Nevertheless, I don’t assume something Callahan and Holz will throw at Ward shall be that totally different or exterior of his skillset. Shallow cross, vertical ideas, stick routes… all issues Ward excels at. Possibly including some extra Mesh variations for him would do wonders for a rookie Ward.