How Cam Ward preseason compares to recent No. 1 QB draft picks, Titans' Brian Callahan expresses confidence

The Tennessee Titans  enter a new era by selecting quarterback Cam Ward with the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward wrapped up the preseason Friday as he briefly played against the Minnesota Vikings. With a full preseason under Ward's belt, Titans coach Brian Callahan is "confident" in where Ward is as he's set to begin his first regular season as a starting quarterback.

"He's been outstanding," Callahan said. "He doesn't get rattled, he fights through. We've had some long-and-down distances; he's made some plays, he's made some really nice throws. There's just a confidence in his demeanor that I have when he's in there that none of it is too big for him. He operates calmly and finds completions and those are the things we worked on over training camp. He's going to be able to make the big plays -- that's what he does -- he's going to be able to move around more when I don't have the governor on to don't take any hits. All that stuff has been really positive. He's done well in his limited showing and I feel confident where he's at."

Ward completed 3-of-4 passes for 34 yards against the Vikings, including orchestrating a 13-play, 90-yard touchdown drive on his second and final series of the night. In total, the former Miami star completed 10-of-19 passes for 143 yards, but didn't toss any touchdowns in three preseason games. 

His most impressive performance came in Tennessee's preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which Ward completed 5-of-8 passes for 67 yards.

How recent No. 1 picks fared as rookies

More often than not, when a team is selecting at the top of the NFL Draft, a quarterback tends to be the pick. Franchises tasked those particular quarterbacks with righting the ship.

There are traditionally some growing pains with rookie quarterbacks, but they also normally show flashes of what made them a top selection. With that in mind, let's take a look at how some of the most recent No. 1 picks fared in their rookie campaigns.

Caleb Williams (2024)

For several months prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Caleb Williams would be selected with the top pick. The Chicago Bears did end up picking Williams the No. 1 pick and moved on from former first-round pick Justin Fields in the process.

In his rookie campaign, Williams had his fair share of growing pains. The Bears rookie signal caller completed 10-of-20 passes for 170 yard, while also rushing for a touchdown in two contests during the 2024 preseason. 

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner ended up completing 62.5% of his passes for 3,541 yards to go along with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 17 games during the regular season. However, Williams was sacked on 68 different occasions, which was more than any other quarterback in the league.

Bryce Young (2023)

Bryce Young came from a decorated collegiate career that included winning the Heisman Trophy in 2021. Following all of his lofty accomplishments, the Carolina Panthers cemented Young as their signal caller of the future as the organization selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Young played in all three of Carolina's preseason games in 2023 and completed 14-of-24 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. The former Alabama star ended up completing 7-of-12 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in the team's final preseason contest against the Detroit Lions.

Young certainly didn't have the success that many envisioned when he entered the NFL. During the 2023 regular season, Young completed just 59.8% of his passes for 2,877 yards in addition to 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 16 games. Opponents also sacked Young 62 times, which was the third-most by a rookie behind David Carr (76) and Caleb William (68).

Trevor Lawrence (2021)

The Jacksonville Jaguars elected to put quarterbacks like Blake Bortles and Gardner Minshew in their rearview mirror when the franchise selected former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence with the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lawrence was one of the more heralded draft prospects in quite some time after helping lead the Tigers to a national championship and passing for the third-most yards (10,098) in program history.

When the preseason rolled around, Lawrence completed 21-of-44 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns as he played in all three preseason games. Lawrence had his most impressive preseason performance in the final game when he converted 11-of-12 passes for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

In the regular season, Lawrence completed 59.6% of his passes for 3,641 yards to go along with 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 17 games. Lawrence also rushed for 334 yards on 73 carries (4.6 yards per carry) and a pair of touchdowns as a rookie.