Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been adamant that the Cowboys wont draft a quarterback with the fourth pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, as he has said that he believes quarterback Tony Romo still has four to five good years of football left in him.
The Cowboys went from division winners in 2014 to finishing in last place with a 4-12 record last season, due to multiple injuries, including losing their starting quarterback twice to a broken collarbone. While the Cowboys may look to add a playmaker that will fill an immediate need on their roster next season like running back Ezekiel Elliott, defensive end Joey Bosa, or defensive back Jalen Ramsey, it won't mean that a quarterback in later rounds is out of the question.
One potential prospect that the Cowboys should keep their eye on is Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones. The Buckeyes quarterback's draft stock plummeted this past season, as he went from a top prospect after winning the National Championship to a mid-round prospect. Jones lost the starting position to quarterback J.T. Barrett midway through the season last year due to inconsistent play, but he is still expected to garner plenty of interest in the lead-up to the draft.
"I think a lot of people say fourth round, maybe a little later - he got benched this season - I'm going to put him in the second round," NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. "It might be the bottom of the second round, but there's going to be a quarterback coach (or) an offensive coordinator who is going to go to the GM and say, 'This guy has such rare physical tools, give me some time to work with him, I will get it out of him."
While the second round is likely a stretch for the Cowboys, Dallas could provide the right environment that would allow a healthy Romo time to develop for two to three seasons. The Cowboys should wait until at least the third or fourth round before grabbing Jones, as there are other quarterback prospects who will likely still be available that are more pro-ready at this time. The Cowboys could look to go in that direction, as they likely will have multiple options, but with such a high ceiling for Jones, Dallas could wait and see if they could land him in the middle rounds of the draft.
"You want to buy into the size and arm but his accuracy and game management just aren't there yet," one NFL offensive coordinator said. "He doesn't even have 300 passes under his belt! Compare him to (Teddy) Bridgewater and (Derek) Carr. Blows those guys away with the physical stuff but he can't touch their poise and leadership as young quarterbacks."
There is no question that Jones is one of the biggest risks in this year's draft class, but a few teams will likely be willing to take a chance on him, and the potential upside could outweigh the risk, especially as it gets deeper in the draft.
