ClutchPoints
Cam Ward wasn’t the most highly touted number one pick ever, but the 2025 first overall selection of the Tennessee Titans was still expected to be a superstar. The Titans are struggling, and thus far, the rookie from Miami hasn’t met expectations. Ward has plenty of time to reach his potential, but his uninspiring start has fans concerned that he could be on a draft bust trajectory. So, how does Ward stack up to other recent number one picks at the quarterback position, as well as other signal callers who were drafted high but ended up failing? Can Ward still become a star, or does his rough start have him down a scary path that he may never recover from?
Being the number one pick doesn’t guarantee success, but it comes with lofty expectations. Number one picks are supposed to become future Hall of Famers, especially when they play the quarterback position. Players such as Peyton Manning and John Elway are prime examples of what a QB taken 1-1 should be. Others haven’t been so lucky, though, including some recent players taken at the top of the draft.
Bryce Young, for example, has been battling the bust label since being drafted. The Carolina Panthers gave up a surplus of capital to move up and take Young, but he was benched early in his second season. Young is back to starting for the team now, but the results have been mixed.
When looking back at Young’s rookie season in 2023, it becomes painfully clear that his first season, which set his career off on the wrong foot, looked eerily similar to Ward’s first year. Young went 2-14 in 16 starts, and he only threw for 2,877 yards and 11 touchdowns to go with 10 interceptions. After a zero-touchdown, zero-interception game in Week 13, Ward’s touchdown-to-interception ratio stays at seven-to-six. Neither player had the worst interception problem ever, but neither of them found much success punching the ball into the end zone in year one. Ward has 2,210 passing yards through 13 games, which ranks 18th in the league. Young’s 2,877 yards as a rookie were the 20th most.
If Ward continues on a Bryce Young-like trajectory, then Titans fans will have every right to be worried. Young has flashed throughout his career, but more often than not, he has looked below average. He definitely hasn’t impressed as much as the player who was drafted right after him. C.J. Stroud has had his own issues over the last two years, but his rookie season was the stuff of legend, and his ceiling seems to be much higher.
Ward’s early-career performance is most reminiscent of Young when it comes to recent number one picks, but quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, and Jared Goff have all been drafted with the first pick within the last...
