This year’s NFL Draft ride is more unpredictable than any before, and the carousel is spinning faster than a two-dollar top. The odds are shifting more quickly, and mock drafts are circulating. There is little doubt that this class is brimming with “generational talent”—it is not simply packed. Leading the charge? Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, and Cam Ward. As they say, the NFL is a different animal, but these players have dominated college football. Additionally, the competition for the top place is intensifying as the draft looks to be a true barn burner.
Cam Ward has changed the course of the contest for the first overall pick. Ward has risen to the top of the discussion after initially being portrayed as a first-rounder who wasn’t quite the guy. The most recent odds were recently published by B/R Be–ing, and Ward is well ahead of the field at -140. Travis Hunter (+500) and Shedeur Sanders (+600), the two guys Deion Sanders backed to the hilt, are now falling behind. The odds are clearly showing that Ward is the one taking center stage, even though they are still excellent first-round possibilities.
What, then, is driving Ward’s extraordinary growth? His on-field achievements, which include 4,313 passing yards, 39 touchdowns, and a fourth-place finish in the Heisman vote during his one season at Miami, certainly speak for themselves. However, this abrupt jump cannot be explained by talent alone. Perhaps what’s really drawing attention is his unwavering response to criticism for his halftime departure from the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Instead of dismissing the noise, Ward took ownership of it, changed the course, and transformed doubt into curiosity. One major issue still stands, though, as the NFL Combine approaches: Will Ward throw? Although he hasn’t made that decision yet, he is undoubtedly prepared for the attention.
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