Potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward calls out Cowboys defense when asked about NFL transition

Ward said Dallas struggled against the types of throws at which he excelled

University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next month's NFL Draft. After a season in which he set school records for passing yards and touchdowns and also broke the all-time NCAA passing touchdown record, Ward is rightfully confident in his abilities.

So it should come as no surprise that when asked if there's anything that makes him nervous about the transition from college to the pros, Ward flipped the question around and talked about what makes him feel like he'll be able to succeed.

"On film, it looks the same as college," Ward told CBS Sports HQ. "Besides the D-Line -- who is obviously better on every team, playing against the highest-paid defensive linemen. So the game could speed up a little bit. But just from a back-end standpoint, a lot of guys want to put the safety high, 25 yards down the field and leave the middle of the field wide open. Some teams who did that to us this year, they paid the price."

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Ryan Wilson

Ward finished second in the nation in expected points added per dropback against middle-of-the-field open coverages like Cover-2 and Cover-4, per Tru Media, completing 155 of 210 passes for 2,074 yards, 24 touchdowns and just three interceptions. So, the confidence he has in himself in those situations is well-placed. 

But he also pointed out specific areas to attack those types of coverages, and called out one unit in particular for allowing those types of passes to be completed against them.

"I think some teams in the NFL did a lot of two-high stuff. Like Dallas, running a lot of Tampa, a lot of Cover-2," he said. "They leave way too much space on the sideline down the seams. I just think the arm strength and the confidence that I bring in, along with me getting my receivers better, I just think I'm gonna put the ball where I want."

Throwing to the wide sides of the field against those two-high looks, Ward went 121 of 161 for 1,536 yards, 17 scores and one pick. Again, the confidence in his ability to beat them is founded on the fact that he actually did so with regularity. 

As for the Cowboys, well, they allowed 7.7 yards per attempt on throws outside the numbers, per Tru Media, which was the worst mark in the NFL. So singling them out as a team that allowed those types of throws makes a lot of sense as well. If Ward lands with the Tennessee Titans, he won't see much of the Cowboys during his career. But if the New York Giants trade up or if Ward surprisingly lasts until No. 3 overall, he'll have a chance to attack that defense year after year.