Cam Ward vs. Shedeur Sanders is a debate that has split the NFL world. What started with Shedeur as the surefire number-one overall pick has taken a plot twist in recent weeks. Ward has now started to rise ahead of Shedeur, as scouts rave about his athleticism. One of those scouts is Louis Riddick, who believes Ward has the potential to become a superstar in the NFL. He also says Ward possesses something seen in Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
Advertisement
Riddick has a strong track record of predicting breakout rookie quarterbacks in recent seasons. In 2023, he was all in on CJ Stroud, who took home the Rookie of the Year award.
Then last season, he was high on Jayden Daniels, who also won the Rookie of the Year and led the Commanders to an NFC title game after a 33-year drought. That’s why we should probably listen to Riddick when he says Ward is clear of Shedeur.
“When it comes to Cam, I think it’s just raw horsepower in his arm,” Riddick professed. “He has the ability to put the ball wherever he wants to put it at whatever point in the down that he wants to put it there.”
Ward indeed has a special arm. Sometimes, though, he’s been criticized for relying on it too much. He tends to fall into the bad habit of throwing off his back foot or off-balance rather than resetting his feet, but that should be ironed out in the NFL.
Furthermore, it’s not just Ward’s arm talent that Riddick is infatuated with. He also admires his quick release and ability to extend plays at will—a trait only the greats, like Patrick Mahomes, possess.
“What his arm strength and release quickness allows him to do is extend plays from a timing perspective to a point where some other players can’t. Because they couldn’t then fit it into the window that they wanted to. I’m not saying he plays that way all the time, it just allows him a certain margin for error that the greats always have. It’s the same with Patrick Mahomes.”
It may be just a specific comparison, but anytime a part of your game is compared to Mahomes, you must be doing something right.
Riddick believes that what he sees in Ward when he rolls out of the pocket is something that we don’t see often in quarterbacks. He can make throws from all sorts of angles with the threat of running the ball. And it’ll make Ward into a surefire superstar, the analyst adds.
Riddick’s Under the Radar QB
Ward isn’t the only quarterback that Riddick is pulling for this offseason. He also likes what he sees in Tyler Shough, a quarterback out of Louisville.
Shough started his career with the Oregon Ducks before transferring to Texas Tech and then transferring again to Louisville. Riddick believes that he is on par with Ward and Sanders and if you put his tape next to the two, you would think Shough is the top quarterback prospect.
“He is the classic body type. Six foot four, about 225-30 pounds. And I’m telling you this: he’s got an absolute cannon with a quick release as well… It matches up with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. And he’s throwing today. So to watch him, I’m telling you, scouts are on him.”
Shough is a good call for an underrated quarterback that could make it in the NFL. He certainly has the size. And the tape dictates that he should thrive in a structured offense that relies heavily on the run and play-action.
All in all, we should listen to Riddick’s opinions on these quarterbacks because he’s shown he has an eye for talent. So, keep Ward ranked over Shedeur on your draft boards, and don’t forget about Shough if he goes in the second or third round.
