Cam Ward Under Microscope at Titans OTAs

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is a focal point for the team during OTAs.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward goes through throwing drills during Rookie Mini Camp. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are trying to get back on the map in the NFL, but in order to do that, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward must become the franchise quarterback he was intended to be.

Ward is now the face of the franchise for the Titans whether he likes it or not, and the team's success will likely be tied to how well he does.

CBS Sports writer Jared Dubin is curious to see how Ward performs during OTA's this week.

"The least-talked about No. 1 overall pick in recent memory has been getting rave reviews in Tennessee, but that also almost always happens for rookie quarterbacks," Dubin wrote.

"Ward has been a culture-changer at every stop of his career, though, and he landed with a coach who helped Joe Burrow make a strong transition to the NFL, which is at least somewhat encouraging. How quickly he can take command of the team and how he fares in reigning in some of the hero-ball tendencies while still accessing the playmaking side of his game are important things to watch."

Ward was the best quarterback scouted in the pre-draft process, but it remains to be seen how he stacks up against the elite signal callers in the NFL. In the AFC, he will have to compete with most of the best quarterbacks in the league, including Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

There's also a group of players with C.J. Stroud, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert, among others, that make things very challenging for most quarterbacks playing in the AFC.

Ward doesn't have to be great right away like Stroud or last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels was. He just needs to run his race and consistently improve for the Titans.

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