Former Ohio State QB Cardale Jones schedules private workout with Cardinals
Mar 29, 2016, 1:26 PM | Updated: 5:36 pm
Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones (12) warms up before an NCAA football game against Illinois Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Bradley Leeb)
(AP Photo/Bradley Leeb)
The Arizona Cardinals have a scheduled private workout with one of the biggest names in college football.
Ohio State QB @CJ12_: Haven't made any trips yet but I'm excited to show what I can do in private workouts. #Bills & #Cardinals scheduled.
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) March 28, 2016
Jones started his redshirt sophomore season in 2014 third on the Buckeyes depth chart, but ended the year as arguably the biggest star in college football.
After injuries to both Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, Jones had the first start of his career in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin and thrived.
He was 12-of-17 in the Buckeyes’ 59-0 win for 257 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Jones followed that up by leading Ohio State to a national championship. In the semifinal and final combined, Jones threw for 485 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, showing off stellar arm strength.
There was talk of Jones possibly being a first-round pick, but he came back to school for the 2015 season.
He struggled to pull away from his co-starter Barrett, finishing the season with 1,460 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He threw less than ten passes in six of Ohio State’s 13 games.
The Cardinals have been down this road before. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Jones resembles former Cardinals fourth-round draft pick Logan Thomas. Like Thomas, Jones is a great athlete for his size.
Some see Jones as a good fit for Arizona.
Maurice Jones-Drew: "For me, I think he goes to the Cards. He fits that system. He's that Bruce Arians type of guy." https://t.co/Sd5Gt16kyD
— Paul Calvisi (@PaulCalvisi) March 29, 2016
NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah projects Jones as a second-round pick. The Cardinals do not have a second-round pick in this year’s draft and their next selection after the first round is No. 92 in the third round.
