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Nick Saban: Cam Ward a 'great start' for the Titans organization (1:34)
Nick Saban has high praise for Cam Ward and breaks down how his game will translate to the NFL. (1:34)
Turron DavenportApr 26, 2025, 07:20 PM ET
- Turron Davenport covers the Tennessee Titans for ESPN since 2018. Turron is a former collegiate football player at Cheyney University and is a native of Philadelphia, and he has authored/co-authored four books. You can catch Turron on ESPN Radio on his show "Talking with TD."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- It didn't take long for Tennessee Titans first-round pick Cam Ward to showcase the leadership skills that helped convince the front office he should be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
"He interacted with everyone in our building," Titans head coach Brian Callahan said of Ward's visit to the team before the 2025 NFL draft. "There wasn't a person in the building that didn't come away impressed. There's an aura to him. He draws people to him."
The Titans steered away from offense in the next two rounds after drafting Ward. But there was a different theme when they started selecting players on Saturday. Tennessee picked former Texas Longhorns tight end Gunnar Helm in the fourth round.
Ward didn't waste any time making his new pass catcher feel welcome.
"I can just tell he's a great leader," Helm said. "He called me when I was on the phone with them. I couldn't answer. Then he texted me right away. I'm just super excited to get there, get with him."
The Titans traded back into the fourth round to select Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Elic Ayomanor. While at Stanford, Ayomanor saw Ward twice when he played for the Washington State Cougars and said he gave the defense a lot of trouble. Now, Ayomanor will be on the receiving end of Ward's passing with the Titans.
"He texted me right after I got the call," Ayomanor said. "He was the number one pick in the draft for a reason. I'm very excited to be able to have the opportunity to play with him and practice with him."
Tennessee opened the final day of the draft by selecting Florida Gators wide receiver Chimere Dike. Ward faced the Gators in the 2024 season opener and had a stellar day, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns in the Miami Hurricanes' 41-17 win.
"I played against Cam [Ward] three times in college," Dike said. "He's a really good player, so I can't wait to get to work with him and build that chemistry."
The chemistry Dike is looking to build started with a text message from his new quarterback. They'll get to continue the building process when the rookies report for minicamp next month.
