The Tennessee Titans mortgaged the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Miami quarterback Cam Ward. This was the first selection of Mike Borgonzi's tenure as the new general manager.
Ward put together a remarkable stat line for the Hurricanes in 2024, throwing for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns, compared to just seven interceptions. He was an easy replacement for Will Levis, who is now out for the season with a shoulder injury.
On Wednesday, EA Sports revealed the initial Madden NFL 26 rating for the rookie class, and Ward was given a rating of 71.
Who better than @Jaboowins to break the news?
— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 30, 2025
All rookie ratings are dropping today! #Madden26Ratings pic.twitter.com/KHJt16DURi
In a later post, it was revealed that Ward is actually an 82 rating. Still, he is nowhere near the top 10 rookies in this class, even though he is the highest-rated quarterback among his counterparts.
Fellow rookie quarterbacks Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants and Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints are tied for second behind Ward with ratings of 68.
The Jacksonville Jaguars' Travis Hunter and Las Vegas Raiders' Ashton Jeanty lead the class with ratings of 84 and 83, despite both being selected after Ward. Fellow top-five picks Abdul Carter, Mason Graham and Will Campbell round out the top five.
Ward's rating of 71 or 72 is lower than previous No. 1 picks like Caleb Williams, who earned a 76, Bryce Young, who earned a 74, and Travon Walker, who earned a 78. Trevor Lawrence also earned a 74 rating.
Tennessee opens up the 2025 NFL season on the road against the Denver Broncos in Week 1.
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