Cardale Jones Decision Could Greatly Impact St. Louis Rams In The 2015 NFL Draft

Today, January 15th, is the deadline for college underclassmen to bypass their final year(s) of eligibility and declare for the 2015 NFL Draft. While most of the “big name” players have already made their announcement, either through a public statement or through their hiring of an agent, others are still on the fence. Included in that list might be the most intriguing name in college football, particularly over the last couple of weeks: Cardale Jones.

Ohio State’s redshirt sophomore made a name for himself when he first arrived on campus, sending out his infamous “why should we have to go to class” message on Twitter. However, his legacy in college football certainly took an uptick after the gruesome J.T. Barrett injury, when Jones was thrust into the starting lineup for the Buckeyes.

His first start was in the Big 10 championship, where Ohio State’s 59-0 thumping of Wisconsin sent waves through college football, bumping them up into the No.4 spot in the final college rankings. Not getting any breaks, Jones next start would come against arguably the best defensive coach in college football, Nick Saban, and the No.1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Jones would finish the game gaining nearly 300 yards from scrimmage, after overcoming a seemingly insurmountable deficit in the opening half. Then, in only his third start, the sophomore phenom took on the most potent offense in Division I football, shocking the Oregon Ducks in a 42-20 “blowout” for the National Championship.

Surprisingly, with only three starts under his belt, many are pushing the behemoth, arm cannon to declare for the 2015 NFL Draft.

Many others on ESPN, NFL Network, and other sports media outlets have expressed their thoughts on the situation, as well, with many pointing to two key factors. For one, Jones’ stock as a prospect is likely as high as it will ever be prior to pre-Draft workouts. Secondly, and potentially connected to the first point, Jones might not even be the starter at Ohio State next season, with J.T. Barrett projected as the front-runner for the starting gig.

If Cardale Jones does declare, it could certainly raise eyebrows in Rams Park. With the top two quarterback prospects likely out of reach and with a relative small pool of Day 1 and Day 2 candidates left in the class, Jones could certainly be in-play for Jeff Fisher and Les Snead, who have repeated suggested they will be bringing in someone this offseason to compete with Sam Bradford.

Is Jones worth a Top 50 pick? Should the St. Louis Rams risk draft their limited draft capitol on a three-game starter? With the Jones’ announcement still looming, we’ll have wait to answer those questions…