The 2025 NFL Draft is set to begin Thursday night as the top players from the college level will officially become pros. While it is impossible to predict where every athlete will land, the number one overall pick appears to be a sure thing with University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward heading to the Tennessee Titans.
With nearly every draft analyst having Ward as the top guy for the past month and betting odds for him to go No. 1 currently sitting at -20000 on FanDuel, it would be one of the biggest surprises in the history of the draft if his name is not called first on Thursday night in Green Bay. Ward has even hinted at this himself by giving some high praise to his likely future teammates this past week citing Titans Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Calvin Ridley, and Treylon Burks as top players at their position in the league.
Assuming all goes to plan, the former college superstar and Heisman finalist will accomplish several historic feats as the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
First ever No. 1 pick to play at the FCS level
Cam Ward would be the first ever number one pick who played college football at the FCS level. Although Ward is mostly known for his 2024 season at Miami, prior to that he played at Washington State and before that he began his college career at FCS Incarnate Word.
As a high school QB, Ward played in a Wing-T offense which led to a lack of recruitment and him committing to Incarnate Word who gave him his only offer. In two years there the NFL prospect lit it up passing for 6,908 yards and 71 touchdowns in just 19 games. In the program's 13th season Ward led the Cardinals to their first ever 10 win season and first FCS playoff victory.
Currently the highest drafted FCS player is Carson Wentz from North Dakota State who was selected second overall in 2016. Of note is a few No. 1 picks that spent time at lower levels during their college career: Ed Jones (1974, Division II Tennessee State), Keyshawn Johnson (1996, CCCAA West Los Angeles College), and Cam Newton (2011, NJCAA Blinn College).
Third No. 1 pick from Miami (first since 1991)
If the Titans select Ward, he would become the third player ever from The U to go first overall. This would make Miami tied for third in most number one picks all time behind just six other schools.
Despite being a big name in the world of college football, The U has fallen off of late but Ward did wonders in bringing them back to relevance last season. This makes it fitting that he would be the first Cane taken with the top pick in the draft since 1991 (Russell Maryland). The other was also a quarterback and former Davey O’Brien Award winner in Vinny Testaverde who went pro in 1987. Even if Ward is not the top pick, he will be the first Miami Hurricane selected in the first round since 2021 and the first on the offensive side of the ball since 2017.
Third No. 1 pick from the ACC
Although the Atlantic Coast Conference has been one of the top conferences in college football (except last season), they are not known for producing the most NFL talent. Cam Ward would be the conference's third ever number one overall pick. Two of these former ACC selections are from the recent past, are notable names, and also played the QB position in Jameis Winston (2015) and Trevor Lawrence (2021).