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Cardale Jones: I’m not ready for the NFL

By Evan Massey

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones (12) warms up before the game against the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones (12) warms up before the game against the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones doesn’t believe he’s ready for the NFL Draft.

Cardale Jones stepped in for the Ohio State Buckeyes after both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett went down, and was able to lead them to a National Championship win over the Oregon Ducks.

With the success that he has enjoyed over the last three games he has started, many believe that Jones, who is eligible for the NFL Draft, could make the leap to the pros, even with his small body of starting work. Less than 24 hours after winning that title, though, Jones disagrees.

Ohio State had plenty of critics that didn’t think there was a remote possibility that their third-string quarterback could get the job done against both Alabama and Oregon, but he proved them wrong. He has begun getting a lot of comparisons to NFL players, but he is making it clear that he doesn’t believe he is NFL ready.

Jones finished his sophomore season with 860 yards, seven touchdowns, and just two interceptions. At 6’5″ and 250 pounds, he reminds a lot of NFL fans of Ben Roethlisberger, but has a better ability to run the football when needed.

There is no question that Jones has the talent to be an NFL player at some point, but he would rather hone his skills in Columbus a little more before making that leap. He displayed a strong and accurate arm this season, and he was also able to make key plays with his legs.

Both Miller and Barrett are eligible to come back next season for the Buckeyes, which would make it a three-way competition for the starting quarterback job this spring. There have been rumors about Miller looking to transfer, but Barrett appears set to return to Ohio State. Jones showed the tools to be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, and it appears that he will return and do his best to win the starting job.

If Jones did decide to head into the NFL Draft, it would be very interesting to see where he ended up getting drafted. There are likely some teams that would show interest, but there is only a small sample size of the talent that he possesses.

All of that being said, he is making the right decision by returning to school for another season. There is a good possibility that Barrett beats him out for the starting job, but he looked just about as good if not better during the Buckeyes’ playoff run. It is going to be a very interesting offseason for the Buckeyes and Jones to say the least.

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