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Cam Ward feels he solidified being No. 1 draft pick after impressing at pro day

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Cam Ward stopped just short of declaring the race for the No. 1 pick over and sharing his thoughts on the Nashville real estate scene. His pro day on the University of Miami campus Monday felt like the last public step toward landing with the Tennessee Titans, who hold the top selection in next month’s NFL Draft, and it brought the biggest contingent to a highly anticipated event that all 32 teams attended.

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After Ward’s throwing session ended, he shared a moment of celebration with the five Miami teammates who caught his passes in front of nearly 100 NFL personnel. Then, next on the field to meet Ward were Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi, president of football operations Chad Brinker and assistant general manager Dave Ziegler. After one especially impressive throw during the workout, Ward pointed to Brinker and Borgonzi, who watched closely first from behind Ward, then later from the sideline for the red zone portion.

Ward told reporters he felt he’d left “no doubt” about how the Titans should view him and where they should select him when the draft begins April 24. And though Ward said his pointing toward the crew in Tennessee blue was his way of saying “that should solidify” his standing as the No. 1 pick, he also said he believes he’s the best player in this draft because of what he did over his college career, not in a 35-minute workout.

As for the post-workout chat with the Titans brass and separate embrace with coach Brian Callahan, Ward said he’s open to more conversations — and long-standing ones if the Titans draft him and make him the centerpiece of their ongoing rebuild.

“I’ll just continue to talk with them, let them get to know me and I get to know them,” Ward said. “But at the end of the day, it’s just about playing football. I think coach Callahan is one of the best head coaches out there, and the things he did with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati when Joe first got to the league helped Joe be really successful. And I just think the playbooks match up with what we did in Miami, not only for (the Titans) but also with Cleveland and in New York with the Giants. All three of those teams like to do the same things we did at Miami, so I think it would be plug and play.”

The Cleveland Browns, who hold the No. 2 pick, were represented at Miami’s pro day by assistant general manager Glenn Cook. New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen took the opportunity to speak with Ward for a couple of minutes during the earlier parts of the workout, then Schoen watched the throwing session from the corner of one of the end zones. The Giants hold the third selection of April’s draft.

But the Titans pick first, and they were first on Ward’s agenda as the team’s traveling party took him to dinner Sunday night. The Titans’ group at the pro day included Brinker, Borgonzi, Callahan, offensive coordinator Nick Holz, quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree, vice president/football advisor Reggie McKenzie, Ziegler and director of scouting AJ Highsmith. The Titans also sent their in-house television and internet broadcast crew to record the pro day and Ward’s post-workout interactions and interviews.

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“The (Titans) got to see me throw in person,” Ward said. “And that should be all they needed to see.”

Ward’s schedule for later this week includes another in-person meeting with multiple members of the Browns organization in Miami, a league source told The Athletic. Except for his formal pre-draft visits, Ward spent most of the last three weeks on campus preparing for the pro day with his pass catchers and is expected to remain in South Florida for at least one more week. Ward’s pass catchers were wide receivers Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George and Sam Brown Jr., plus tight ends Elijah Arroyo and Cam McCormick.

“It’s been fun just getting back out here at Miami, (working) and hanging out with the guys again,” Ward said. “Everything we did at pro day was something we did last season. And, you know, we missed on a couple things today, but it was just like practice. Everything we missed on, it was corrected and we tried to get it right back.”

The workout started with 25 straight completions. Unofficially, Ward completed 54 of 62 passes to receivers running routes out of varying formations. He took snaps from shotgun and under center, and he showed off his arm strength while also mixing in some sidearm throws. Though the workout was scripted, it called for a lot of rollouts and simulated pressure situations in which Ward either had to pass on the run or dodge a theoretical oncoming defender before resetting and throwing.

Ward said he’s enjoyed meeting coaches and executives from around the NFL and learning terminology as he talks through offensive concepts with interested teams. He did little to hide his interest or intent to go atop the draft to Tennessee, but Ward said, “I don’t do the drafting” and joked he saw “a couple hopefuls” among the crowd of NFL onlookers Monday.

Maybe the Titans are still willing to talk about a potential trade if the Browns, Giants or some other team want to package a bunch of picks and move up to select Ward, but Tennessee’s presence and Ward’s confident performance left the impression the draft intrigue will start with Cleveland at No. 2.

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“I just think it’s important for me not to forget where I came from,” said Ward, who played two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word and two at Washington State before transferring to Miami. “There was one point where I didn’t have one camera looking at me and now the whole world is looking at me. I carry myself in a certain type of way. All I want to do is play football, take care of my teammates and be a good person in the locker room as well.

“I think even back (at Incarnate Word) I believed I was good enough to someday be the No. 1 pick. I think all I needed was a chance. I think I always carried myself in that way. … Every year I’ve gotten better, and it ultimately led to me being in consideration.”

(Photo: Michael Laughlin / Associated Press)

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