2026 NFL season: How Ward, Dart, Shough, Sanders can improve
Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders are entering Year 2 in the NFL. Let's find one spot where each sophomore QB must get better in 2026.
NFLTennessee TitansNew York Giants
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We're in it now, folks. NFL training camps are underway. The 2026 season is here.
That means 2025 draftees are no longer rookies, as they now make room for an incoming class of new recruits. That also means new expectations for the sophomores. I looked back at the Year 1 performance for four quarterbacks taken in last year's draft -- Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders -- and asked the same question for each of them: What does he need to improve in Year 2 and beyond?
In rewatching the tape, I found myself pleasantly surprised by most of these second-year QBs. None played in a particularly great environment, all four were on losing teams, only one began 2025 as the starter, and three of the four are already enduring head coaching changes. But Ward's performance against the Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning defense was one of the best outings I saw against that unit. Dart's dual-threat ability was far greater than I expected from the college ranks and makes him a much higher-floor player. Shough has a legit arm and big frame. And Sanders kept the ship afloat -- far from a guarantee for a fifth-round rookie.
The Titans, Giants and Saints fanbases should feel reasonably excited about the upcoming season, though the Browns still have a ways to go. But all four signal-callers are also far from finished products, and each could just as easily lose his job in 2027 and beyond. So, let's pick out the biggest must-have (or two) for each quarterback in 2026 -- the main area where Ward, Dart, Shough and Sanders must improve this season to take the next step.
Jump to: Ward | Dart | Shough | Sanders
Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans
Where he could get better: Running and arm arrogance
Ward had a better rookie season than it looks at first blush. But yes, that first blush does look bad. Of 38 quarterbacks with at least 200 dropbacks last season, Ward was 36th in EPA per dropback and success rate, ahead of only the Browns' pair of rookie quarterbacks (Dillon Gabriel and Sanders). And only Gabriel had a lower yards per attempt than Ward's 5.9.
But even on the scale of No. 1 picks selected to bad teams, Ward was dropped into a brutal environment. After Calvin Ridley went down in Week 6, the Titans' leading snap getters at receiver were a pair of Day 3 rookies -- Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike -- and veteran journeyman Van Jefferson. The Titans' designed running game, featuring Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, didn't move the needle. It was 29th in EPA per play and 31st in explosive run rate. And Brian Callahan, the offensive-minded head coach charged with setting Ward up for success, was fired midseason.
To be sure, many top picks can claim similar malpractice. Trevor Lawrence suffered at the hands of Urban Meyer in his rookie season, and Caleb Williams was a disaster under Matt Eberflus and Shane Waldron. Both produced advanced statistics roughly as concerning as Ward's numbers last season, and both have recovered nicely (Williams in just one season, and Lawrence after a few years).
Three No. 1 picks as rookies
Williams took the Ben Johnson elevator, while Lawrence was forced to climb the stairs of improvement. Ward might be more destined for the Lawrence path. New Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll isn't a Johnson-level mastermind, but he has historically been a good shot in the arm for quarterbacks. He stewarded Josh Allen's growth in Buffalo and got the Giants' head coaching job for his efforts. Daniel Jones got a bump in his first year under Daboll before the fire fizzled out. Then it was Dart's turn -- he had a strong rookie performance in Daboll's final season in New York.
The common thread in those three improvements is the quarterback running game. Allen was always a runner under Daboll, and it kept the Bills' offense afloat while he improved as a passer. When Daboll took charge in New York, he asked Jones to carry the ball more; Jones went from 1.8 designed rushes per game in the three years before Daboll to 3.7 per game in the three years after Daboll was hired. Daboll also clearly encouraged Jones to use his legs as an outlet in the dropback game, as Jones scrambled on 4.9% of his dropbacks pre-Daboll and 7.5% of his dropbacks in the Daboll era.
And while there's no pre-Daboll comparison, Dart was third among all quarterbacks in designed runs per game (2.9) and fourth in scramble rate (9.2%) in 2025. We can say with confidence that Daboll wanted him to run.
When Daboll uses Ward as a runner, he will immediately raise the floor of the QB's play. Ward was reluctant to cross the line of scrimmage last season; his 3.7% scramble rate was well below the league average (5.4%), falling among pocket passers like Geno Smith, Joe Burrow and Jacoby Brissett. Ward is no Lamar Jackson, but he's a stout 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, so he can shed contact well.
As Ward scrambles more, he'll eliminate the low-percentage throws he attempted late in the down last season. Ward had 88 dropbacks with a time to throw over 4.0 seconds, second to only Caleb Williams. Dropbacks this long are almost universally scramble-drill throws, and they did not serve the Titans well at all. Nobody actually opened up downfield, and Ward had only five completions of over 20 yards on all those snaps. He lost a whopping 107.3 expected points on those 88 dropbacks, second to only 2023 Bryce Young this decade for the most lost value on extended dropbacks in a single season.
Escaping pressure and extending the play is a great skill for a quarterback. But Ward must turn those escapes into positive plays, and scrambling would help him do so. Being more decisive with the football and eliminating a few prolonged dropbacks will boost his game, as well.
Ward showed plenty of promise as an in-rhythm passer. He has an explosive, whip-like release that gets the ball in flight before defenders can react. It allows him to hit tight windows and manipulate throwing lanes around incoming defensive linemen. This whistler up the seam against the Seahawks lives in my mind. Ward uncorks this just as receiver James Proche II is clearing the linebackers, such that the throw will beat the closing safeties -- and it is placed perfectly to pull Proche away from a big hit.
Cam Ward was so good on Sunday. Watch how fast his throwing motion is once he realizes Proche is gonna be open in the seam. Incredible snap of the lower body. Looks like an infielder firing the ball to first. Throw beats the safety. ++ arm talent right there. pic.twitter.com/QQzbPTxuiY
Ward deserves to play with some arm arrogance, challenging defenders to anticipate his throws so early that they're practically guessing. That term -- arm arrogance -- was thrown around Allen quite a bit during the Daboll era. In a similar offense that spreads the defense out and simplifies the reads for a young quarterback, Ward could get the ball out much faster this season. And when the defense is right and he has to eat the throw, he can use his legs to keep the offense on schedule.
With these improvements, Ward's floor will rise substantially. He'll eliminate bad sacks and hopeless throws. He'll pick up a lot of easy-access 6-yard gains. The ceiling on Ward depends on how he grows as a post-snap processor (and how well his two new receivers in Carnell Tate and Wan'Dale Robinson play).
Jaxson Dart, New York Giants
Where he could get better: Consistency
Dart is an extremely frustrating watch. He has very little consistency to his process as a thrower and pocket manager. His feet are frequently disconnected from the ground, which affects the timing of his throws and delays his reaction to pressure. His lower-body mechanics change willy-nilly, and he often looks like a kid alone on a basketball court attempting pretend buzzer-beaters, lurching to launch from odd angles for no apparent reason.
Here's a good example. It's fourth-and-8 late in the fourth quarter against the Commanders. The Giants are down by eight points. Dart initially drops back with regular footwork, then transitions to a backpedal halfway through despite no real pressure. When he does step into the throw, he does it hastily, as if he's late to the throw -- but he isn't. He steps far off his line and ends up lofting a throw downfield that needs to be driven to a spot closer to the sideline. His throw pulls Wan'Dale Robinson into the defender instead of away from him, but it doesn't really matter. The ball is uncatchable.
pic.twitter.com/ckV653BPZ9
This is a tough but makeable play made more difficult by Dart's process, which simply isn't good. Of course, there are also plenty of examples of Dart making pinpoint throws with the same wonky process. It's part of why he was such an electric rookie. Here, in Week 8 against the Eagles, Dart has to reset in the pocket as his right tackle is driven toward him. He could hang tall and step into this corner route to tight end Daniel Bellinger, but he instead fades away from the throw, increasing the degree of difficulty. Still, he has enough arm and anticipation to cash the check.
pic.twitter.com/iHdQiF74Cg
This sword cuts both ways. On the one hand, it is good to have a young quarterback capable of making high-difficulty throws. It's why Dart went in the first round. On the other hand, Dart's success on improvisational throws can teach him the wrong lessons. Success is an operative term here. Dart can make off-time throws from bad platforms, but he wasn't particularly dangerous as an out-of-structure thrower.
On pressured dropbacks, Dart was a downfield thrower, as his 11.4 air yards per attempt led the league. But he was dead last in completion percentage there, and he was below average in both dropback success rate and EPA per dropback. He did scramble a ton (15.8%), but he also got sacked a ton (25.2%). There was enough juice to make a nice highlight reel, but it often wasn't worth the squeeze.
Dart is a good physical talent for the position, but he isn't big enough or explosive enough to really be a danger when pressured -- he isn't Drake Maye or Josh Allen. He can do enough, but he cannot build the entire ship out of spectacular escapes or challenging throws. He simply must become more consistent on a down-to-down basis.
This is a similar challenge to the one Jordan Love faced when he finally took over for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay. Love wasn't scrambling nearly as much as Dart, and he has a better arm, but he was highly inconsistent from down to down. His mechanics were all over the place, and he regularly disagreed with his receivers on small on-field adjustments. The light bulb really came on late in Love's 2023 season, his first year as a starter but his third year as a pro. He didn't just have the benefit of sitting; he also played for only one coach (Matt LaFleur). Dart is about to be on his second system in as many years.
The list of quarterbacks with rampant inconsistency who never learned how to do the quiet work of keeping easy plays easy is unfortunately quite long. Anthony Richardson Sr.'s default response to scrambling is similar to Dart's... either take a huge hit while launching the ball a few zip codes down the field or try to author a magnificent escape. Richardson has the elite physical traits that Dart lacks, but he has been hurt more, which has slowed his development. Dart, given the hits he takes, is in jeopardy of the same unavailability.
Zach Wilson is another quarterback who has never been able to settle his feet against pressure and accordingly makes pockets messier. Wilson, like Dart, has trusted his arm too much to make his poor feet right. Baker Mayfield had similar issues on his rookie contract, but it seems like he has those demons exorcised (until they randomly rematerialize in a few games every season in Tampa Bay). None of these names is a perfect one-to-one comparison for Dart. We don't have enough of a sample size to achieve such a comparison.
