Slated at the two premiere passers of their class, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders have found themselves placed under a microscope throughout the past several months. After their names are called at the 2025 NFL Draft, the public scrutiny will only intensify.
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Where Ward has remained the consensus favorite to be the first overall pick, Sanders has seen a slide in his draft profile in recent weeks. Nevertheless, both men find themselves shouldering a great deal of pressure.
In an attempt to help the two young men navigate the criticisms and comments that will continue to come their way, one of the NFL’s most legendary quarterbacks, Michael Vick, did his best to impart some wisdom to the next generation of signal callers. The former Atlanta Falcon warned that, despite both of them being talented players, the journey to gridiron greatness would not be easy for them.
“It’s going to be important as to where they end up. You know they are going to have to start from the bottom and work their way up. But that’s just what happens when you’re a first-round pick, especially a quarterback. The scrutiny is heavy and there ain’t no dodging it. You’re really out there in the open,” he said on the Get Got Pod.
Highlighting the immediate success of Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud, Vick asserted that both Ward and Sanders “will have to get to it fast”; otherwise, they risk facing backlash from both fans and pundits alike. However, Marshawn Lynch’s co-host and former fullback, Mike Robinson, believes that Sanders’ talent has been forgotten in light of Ward’s capabilities.
“I think Shedeur is going to be good. I know Cam is a little more flashy, with the arm talent… Usually when quarterbacks go early in the draft, they’re going to a bad team. A quarterback has to know how to be a force multiplier early on in the game. He’s gotta be able to raise everybody up. Often times, guys with all the tools don’t raise everybody up.”
While the current crop of QBs in this year’s draft may not have drawn a lot of praise at first, Ward and Sanders have definitely begun to generate more and more hype as April 24th draws closer. Thankfully, the draft is officially less than three weeks away, so we needn’t wait for answers much longer.
Having already cited the need for both quarterbacks to deliver in their rookie campaigns, Vick was willing to take his comments one step further by drawing direct comparisons between Shedeur and Ward to Stroud and Daniels.
Favoring the accuracy of both prospects, the former leader for NFL career QB rushing yards seemingly suggested that the rushing ability of Ward is what separates him from his contemporary.
“Shedeur kind of reminds me of a C.J. Stroud. Pocket passer, he can move when has to. He’s going to light you up from the pocket. The accuracy is there. Cam’s accuracy is there. Cam is going to be able to move. He looks more so like a Jayden Daniels-type. They both got their own superb talents.”
Vick’s comments will certainly be encouraging to those who are hoping to see another rookie phenom, but it’s best to temper expectations. Ward is all but guaranteed to land with the Tennessee Titans, but the future of Sanders remains relatively ambiguous at this time.
Like it or not, fans will simply have to wait until night one of the 2025 NFL Draft before they can begin to determine whether or not a year-one breakout is in the cards for either of these two QBs.
