Cardale Jones Would Risk Less Entering 2015 NFL Draft Than Staying at Ohio State

Cardale Jones may not feel he's ready for the NFL just yet. That would be a logical assessment by a reasonable person. Then again, the extraordinary accomplishments Jones has achieved in his brief tenure as Ohio State's starting quarterback have defied reasonable expectations.

Jones led the Buckeyes to victories in the Big Ten title game, the Sugar Bowl and the national championship in his first three college starts. The 6'5", 250-pound instant star has a cannon arm and amazing athletic ability for his size, and he would be turning down a golden opportunity by spurning the 2015 NFL draft.

A convoluted quarterback depth chart looms in Columbus, where Jones isn't even guaranteed a starting spot this next year. SportsCenter's graphic illustrates the situation:

Asked about the possibility of making the improbable leap to the pros on Tuesday following OSU's 42-20 triumph over Oregon, Jones was reluctant to claim he was prepared for the next level, via ESPN.com's Heather Dinich:

"

I mean, it's very odd. You know, I'm going to be starting three games in three years, and you know, guys play their whole career to have that buildup and have that motivation to play in the NFL. In my personal opinion, I'm not ready for that level yet. I mean, like coach [Urban] Meyer said, it's a conversation me and him will have later down the road. But to me right now, it's far out.

"

Other than Jones' national championship counterpart, Marcus Mariota, and Florida State's Jameis Winston, there aren't any surefire first-round QB prospects in this 2015 class.

Bleacher Report's Michael Schottey alludes to the lack of alternatives available:

If Jones does require time to sit and learn a pro-style offense, he can do so at the NFL level, rather than lighting up the competition in college for another year.

There is a realistic chance that Jones sits behind either Braxton Miller or J.T. Barrett with the Buckeyes in 2015.

Presuming Miller or Barrett succeed, there would be little chance for Jones to see the field, and he'd lose steam as an NFL prospect and not have any recent, impressive game tape to point to.

That isn't to say Jones would go in the top 32 if he declared himself eligible for the NFL this year. Limited game action and a QB-friendly spread offense make Jones quite a risk the higher he'd be chosen.

But in this era of lesser rookie salaries, which team in need at the most important position wouldn't consider Jones in the second, third or fourth round?

The Big Lead's Jason McIntyre brings up another strong point:

Jones has shown enough innate accuracy and transcendent arm strength to fit the ball into tighter NFL windows, and his knack for delivering the deep ball also bolsters his stock. His feel for climbing the pocket and keeping his eyes downfield are other attractive qualities.

Far removed from his infamous "classes are pointless" tweet, Jones is 22 years old and has a daughter, which has aided his maturation.

"We've had a lot of conversations about the enormity of responsibility that comes from being a father," said Buckeyes offensive coordinator Tom Herman of Jones, per ESPN.com's Max Olson. "I think it's really caused him to mature and grow up and have a different perspective on things."

The skill set Jones has brings to mind the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton, two big signal-callers who've had considerable success in the pros.

Conventional wisdom isn't something Jones has adhered to amid his amazing run in leading the Buckeyes to the top of college football. In his aforementioned tweet from October 2012, Jones stated that he really came to Ohio State to thrive on the gridiron. He couldn't have hoped to do much better to date with the opportunities he's had.

A certain degree of naivete harmed Jones' reputation during that Twitter fiasco. Then that quality helped him take the reins of the Buckeyes offense and thrive on the biggest stages imaginable.

Using that logic, it suddenly doesn't seem so unrealistic that Jones could shine in the NFL if he takes the modest risk, marketing his limited experience as a positive to rise above the underwhelming prospects after Mariota and Winston.