The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday night, making Titans fans very happy, and collectors ... perhaps not so much.
When hobbyists got a look at Ward's autograph on cards, the conclusion was his signature certainly leaves a lot to be desired.
But how does it stack up to previous top picks?
Cllct ranked the previous 10 No. 1 picks by their autographs from their rookie season.
1. Joe Burrow
Like Burrow, his signature is cool and smooth. I like using the "Joey B" nickname.
When you see it, you immediately know who it belongs to. It's scripted nicely and easy to read.
Adding a No. '9' would be a nice touch. It's a good signature, not great. Unfortunately, the rest of this list shows how cursive isn't taught in schools anymore.
2. Jared Goff
It's a shame Goff didn't use his current signature, because that would so easily be No. 1 it hurts. It's beautiful cursive with his full name and number.
This iteration from his rookie year is solid. The "J" and "G" are easily identifiable. And what looks like an 11 with a line through it must be cursive "F's." Props to Goff for evolving though.
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3. Myles Garrett
The "M" is beautifully written. It's tough to tell what comes next. I can only assume it's a "G," but it does look quite like an "A." At least the "95" is bold and prominent.
If he wrote out "Garrett" in full this would easily be the No. 1 signature.
4. Trevor Lawrence
I'm not a fan of tiny scribbles after a big first letter, but the "T" and "L" are at least easily identifiable.
It would be much better if the "L" looped back in on the right and went underneath the rest of "Lawrence."
5. Kyler Murray
His first name written out looks very unique and elegant. After that, "Murray" just kind of falls apart. Where he placed the "1" almost makes the "M" look like a "T."
6. Baker Mayfield
If he could've just written out "Baker" the way he wrote out "Mayfield," this would have a shot at being in the top three. The 'B' just looks lazy
7. Bryce Young
The "B" connected to the "Y," kind of makes the "B" look like an "R," but it's not too bad. Where Young loses lots of points is the "9" simply does not look like a "9." It looks much closer to a "5."
8. Caleb Williams
Williams' autograph is one of the few that has gotten much simpler since college. What initially began as a full "Caleb Williams 13" at USC turned into "CWill 13" then to "CWill 18" and now just to "CW18."
It's at least legible and distinct, but it's nothing compared to what it was at USC.
9. Travon Walker
This is what I imagine most doctor signatures look like. Just a bunch of nonsensical scribbles so that it can't be replicated.
The "T" looks like a "J," and I don't like putting just the "W" at the end without the full name, unless it's a nickname like "Joey B."
10. Cam Ward
This is legitimately one of the worst autographs I have ever seen. I mean take some pride in your signature. Millions of people around the world want it and want to pay for it.
And this is just atrocious. It looks like when you have to initial on a screen at the DMV.
Matt Liberman is a video producer and reporter for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.