So, the 2025 version of the NFL Draft is now less than a month away, to be conducted at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin April 24-26, and it seems every mock draft has University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward as the first pick overall.
Now, whether or not the Tennessee Titans, who earned that pick after an awful season, will actually MAKE that selection – that’s another story entirely.
But as of 1:14 p.m. Eastern / 12:14 Central on Monday, Las Vegas oddsmakers are agreeing with those who say Ward will be the top selection.
Ward, a senior originally from West Columbia, Texas, completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions, sacked 22 times, and ran for 204 yards on 60 carries and four more touchdowns, averaging 3.4 yards a carry.
Ward was across the board in college: he began his collegiate career at Incarnate Word, spent two seasons there and transferred to Washington State, and then his senior year was with the Hurricanes.
Even as a freshman at IW, Ward completed 60 percent of his throws for 2,260 yards, 24 touchdowns and just four picks.
According to vegasinsider.com, Ward’s odds to be the No. 1 pick are -2000, and no one else is close.
Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter is the closest player to Ward (+800), so the gap is very wide. No one buys that someone besides Ward will be the first one Commissioner Roger Goodell meets on the stage on Thursday night, April 24.
Since 2015, only twice have non-quarterbacks been picked first overall: in 2022, when Georgia edge rusher Travon Walker was made the No. 1 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars (who had picked Trevor Lawrence No. 1 the previous season), and in 2017, when the Cleveland Browns drafted another pass rusher, Myles Garrett, out of Texas A&M.
The current NFL first-round draft order, courtesy of NFL.com:
1) Tennessee Titans
2) Cleveland Browns
3) New York Giants
4) New England Patriots
5) Jacksonville Jaguars
6) Las Vegas Raiders
7) New York Jets
8) Carolina Panthers
9) New Orleans Saints
10) Chicago Bears
11) San Francisco 49ers
12) Dallas Cowboys
13) Miami Dolphins
14) Indianapolis Colts
15) Atlanta Falcons
16) Arizona Cardinals
17) Cincinnati Bengals
18) Seattle Seahawks
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20) Denver Broncos
21) Pittsburgh Steelers
22) Los Angeles Chargers
23) Green Bay Packers
24) Minnesota Vikings
25) Houston Texans
26) Los Angeles Rams
27) Baltimore Ravens
28) Detroit Lions
29) Washington Commanders
30) Buffalo Bills
31) Kansas City Chiefs
32) Philadelphia Eagles
