Cardale Jones Has No. 1 Overall Potential in 2016 but Hasn't Proven Anything Yet

As 99,391 fans filled venerable Ohio Stadium for this year's Ohio State Buckeyes spring game, all eyes were fixated on one person: quarterback Cardale Jones.

The reason behind the attention was twofold. 

First, the Buckeyes are reigning national champions without an established starter at quarterback. And second, Jones is a tantalizing talent behind center. 

Sure, the Buckeyes are absolutely loaded. Running back Ezekiel Elliott is college football's leading returning rusher. Taylor Decker is considered one of college football's top left tackles. Linebacker Darron Lee is a blur of a tackling machine. Eli Apple and Vonn Bell form one of the best cornerback-safety tandems in the nation. And defensive end Joey Bosa is among the favorites to be selected No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL draft.

But the talented pass-rusher could have competition from his teammate for the top spot. 

Jones is everything an NFL organization wants in a franchise quarterback physically. He's a towering presence at 6'5" and 250 pounds. He can test any part of the field due to a right arm that can easily flick the ball 60 to 70 yards downfield. There isn't a throw he can't make. 

Plus, Jones is mobile. While he won't make anyone forget Marcus Mariota's ability to run like a deer, the Ohio State gunslinger eluded pressure from the pocket to make plays multiple times during his three starts. His ability to shrug off incoming defenders due to his size and strength is Ben Roethlisberger-esque. 

And his performance after he took over for an injured J.T. Barrett bordered on the realm of magical. Ohio State claimed its eighth national championship with, essentially, it's third-string quarterback leading the way. 

Opponent	Event	Comp. %	Yards	TDs	INTs
Wisconsin	B1G Championship	70.6	257	3	0
Alabama	Sugar Bowl	51.4	243	1	1
Oregon	National Championship	69.6	242	1	1
Overall		61.3	742	5	2

These things make Jones the most enticing prospect entering the 2015 campaign. None of it means he'll automatically translate into a future first-round pick, though. 

A lack of experience, polish and the perception that he's immature remain concerns. 

All three of those deficiencies could be addressed this fall, but only if Jones rises to the top of the depth chart and stays there. 

It seems to be a simple task after leading the Buckeyes through the inaugural College Football Playoff to capture a national championship. It's certainly not a given, though. 

Nothing will be handed to Jones as long as Barrett and Braxton Miller remain on the roster. Jones fully understands his current situation, and said as much in an interview with ESPN.com's Austin Ward: 

"

We as a team and me as an individual get a lot of praise for how well we did in those games, but I didn’t even grade out as a champion as far as coach’s standards. I haven’t proven anything yet. I haven’t proven anything to myself, my teammates, my coaches to label myself as a starter. That’s my opinion, my personal opinion.

I’m kind of harder on myself than the coaches, but I was thrown into that position. I didn’t beat out J.T. going into the Michigan game. I didn’t beat out Braxton. Unfortunately both guys got hurt, and luckily enough I was prepared to try to take advantage of the situation.

"

While Jones was the last man standing last season, he was merely the starter by default. Miller and Barrett's abilities can't be overlooked.

Miller was honored as a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year before he required shoulder surgery last offseason. He reaggravated the injury during fall camp and sat out the 2014 campaign. But the senior decided to remain at Ohio State instead of transferring to another program, and he's prepared for the upcoming three-way quarterback competition. 

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer commented on Miller's preparation, per Eleven Warriors' Tim Shoemaker: 

Of the three, Miller is the most athletic. The quarterback ran for 3,054 yards during his three seasons as a starter. 

Barrett, meanwhile, is arguably the best fit for the offense. The redshirt sophomore's growth last season was phenomenal. 

After a slow start, Barrett and the Buckeyes were clicking on all cylinders by the third week of the season. As a redshirt freshman, the Texas native completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The quarterback also ran for 938 yards. 

It was one of the best seasons for a quarterback in Buckeyes history, according to ESPN.com's Brad Edwards: 

"

Simply put, Total QBR says Barrett is the Buckeyes' best quarterback. His 87 rating not only ranked second nationally to Marcus Mariota in 2014, but it's easily the best for any Ohio State QB in the past 10 seasons, which includes Troy Smith's 2006 Heisman-winning season.

On top of that, Barrett did it as a redshirt freshman, which places him in some elite company. During the years QBR data has been available, only four freshmen (all redshirt freshmen) have had a rating of at least 80 with a minimum of 300 action plays. The two with a higher rating than Barrett -- Johnny Manziel and Jameis Winston -- both won the Heisman that season. The other (Mariota) went on to win the Heisman as a junior.

"

Despite momentum being in Jones' favor, particularly since neither Barrett nor Miller could compete during the spring due to injuries, the Cleveland, Ohio, native is still facing an uphill battle to eventually be named the starter. 

If he takes complete control of the offense, he can take the next step as a leader and an NFL prospect. 

The perception of Jones being immature began three years ago when the quarterback tweeted this: 

The quarterback clearly understands he made a mistake, but Meyer acknowledged the older version of Jones sometimes reverts back to that immature young man, per SI.com's Pete Thamel:

"

You know, he’s a steady work in progress. He’s a 22-year-old man that once in a while reverts back to a 16-, 17-year-old mentality. He’s a genuine, great kid that has been interesting. This is psychology 101. There should be a chapter on Cardale Jones. His support back home is phenomenal, Ted Ginn, Michelle Nash, his mom, and it’s every day.

"

Physically, Jones has been ready to play in the NFL since the day he stepped onto Ohio State's campus. However, he has yet to prove he can be a long-term starter, leader of a team and handle the mental rigors an NFL quarterback must deal with on a daily basis. 

The redshirt junior finally came to this realization, fully immersed himself into the offense and took full advantage of being the primary quarterback during spring practice, per Austin:

"

I think my leadership skills, communication on the field, just as far as being more vocal improved [this spring]. Understanding where guys are supposed to line up, because we had a lot of young guys going into spring and they’re not going to know [all the assignments], so I’ve got to make sure I know and put guys in the right spot. There’s a difference between a step to the left on the numbers or a step to the right off the numbers, and understanding that little part of the game.

I’m working harder than ever. I understand that I want to be the starting quarterback of this team, but I know I have two guys in front of me who are working just as hard.

"

Added experience is crucial in Jones' development. The experience isn't needed for Jones to mature as a person, but a player as well. 

In his three starts last season, two primary issues were present. 

First, Jones was very slow and deliberate while progressing through his reads. At times, he simply stared down his targets instead of completely surveying the field. 

Below is a series of screen captures of a 26-yard completion from Jones to wide receiver Corey Smith during the CFP National Championship Game: 

Credit: DraftBreakdown.com

Credit: DraftBreakdown.com

Credit: DraftBreakdown.com

While this resulted in a positive play, quarterbacks cannot be this obvious at the NFL level. Professional defensive backs and linebackers are far more cognizant of route combinations and offensive tendencies.

Jones, meanwhile, needs to become proficient in using his eyes to manipulate the secondary. 

It worked out in the Buckeyes' favor in this instance, but this is merely one of the nuances required to play the position which can take a prospect from being a great physical talent to a potential franchise quarterback. 

To further stress his inability to process information quickly, Jones dropped back to pass 91 times during the final three games. He either attempted a pass or broke the pocket to scramble after his first read 59.3 percent of the time. 

Jones very rarely progressed beyond his second read. It only occurred a handful of times during the small sample size.

Overall, the Buckeyes staff wanted Jones to make quick reads, break the pocket or used designed runs to take full advantage of his athleticism at this point in his development. 

Ball placement can also be an issue. The term itself is subjective, but the ability to lead receivers and place the ball where it's needed to get the most out of any passing play is absolutely crucial when it comes to being a successful NFL quarterback. 

Bleacher Report tracked all of Jones' throws during his three starts to see how accurate the quarterback was during his memorable run: 

Opponent	Attempts	Completions	Off Target	Off Target %
Wisconsin	17	12	4	23.5
Alabama	35	18	12	34.3
Oregon	23	16	7	30.4
Total	75	46	23	30.7

Again, the evaluation is subjective, but a pass was considered errant if he simply missed the throw (passes intentionally thrown out of bounds weren't counted), forced his wide receiver to adjust on the ball or made his targets slow down to make the catch. 

A reception can be made, and it doesn't necessarily equal good ball placement from the quarterback. 

As such, these numbers can vary, but a conservative view was taken and Jones still threw an errant pass over 30 percent of the time he dropped back and unleashed the ball. 

For Jones, the solution to his problems is speeding up the process, which starts with his ability to process information more quickly and display quicker eyes. These can be solved with more playing time and experience. But, as noted earlier, Jones will need to become the starter before he can reach this point. 

There are traits the quarterback has, however, that can't be taught and go beyond just physical prowess. 

Jones' presence in and ability to navigate the pocket are outstanding. 

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah certainly came away impressed with the Ohio State quarterback upon his initial viewing of game film: 

Poise is the key word in Jeremiah's evaluation. A quarterback can have all the physical tools and a brilliant mind for the game, but those things don't matter if he melts down once pressure is being applied by a defense. 

This isn't a problem at all for Jones, as Jeremiah correctly identified: 

The above pass is an NFL-caliber completion of the highest order. Jones stood tall in the pocket and delivered a perfectly thrown pass to his wide receiver on a fly route knowing full well he was going to get hit. 

There is an inherent toughness needed to "stare down the gun barrel" and deliver a pass when the quarterback absolutely knows he's going to take a shot from a defensive lineman or linebacker in order to successfully complete his job. 

In fact, Jones excels when a defense decides to send pressure his way, according to Pro Football Focus: 

This combination of size, arm strength, toughness in the pocket and unbelievable upside makes Jones the most intriguing prospect available for the 2016 NFL draft. 

Yet, the Ohio State quarterback may never get the chance to realize his full potential. 

It's a step-by-step process that began with Jones' performances during the Buckeyes' improbable run through the Big Ten Championship Game and College Football Playoff. He continued his upward trend by leading Ohio State's offense during spring practice. The next step becomes absolutely crucial as the team's quarterback competition begins in earnest during fall camp. 

If Jones emerges as the starter, he'll then have an opportunity to improve upon the little things that make a quarterback truly great. Starting experience will be absolutely invaluable for Jones as he attempts to position himself as a top quarterback prospect. His performance could then skyrocket or sink his overall value. 

As impressive as the ending to last season was, it could mean absolutely nothing if Jones doesn't capitalize on what he started. 

Ohio State, college football and even NFL fans saw the birth of something special in December, but Jones' story is far from written. It's all in front of the Buckeyes quarterback to take the necessary steps and become the type of quarterback worthy of a No. 1 overall pick. 

A year from now, Jones could be the face of an NFL franchise or sinking into relative obscurity. It's all on him to prove who he is and what he can become. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.