CHICAGO -- The Buffalo Bills signed up to solve the riddle of the 2016 NFL Draft's most enigmatic prospect Saturday.
Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones went to Buffalo in the fourth round, which was squarely in range of analyst expectations. Jones pairs the physical tools of a first-round pick with the production and on-field consistency of a seventh-rounder. The Bills met Jones in the middle with the last pick of Round 4 (No. 139 overall).
General manager Doug Whaley is under no illusions about Jones' developmental role. He quickly established that Bills QB EJ Manuel is the backup to starter Tyrod Taylor, suggesting Jones' pending status as a clear No. 3.
"We like Cardale's skill set. He has the tools to be a franchise guy. Is he there yet? Absolutely not," Whaley said, per Chris Brown of the Bills' official website. Whaley described the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Jones as a "blank canvas."
"His tape is inconsistent, he's a wild card, but he has starting traits in the NFL," said NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock on Saturday.
One issue NFL teams had with Jones is inexperience. He started just 10 games at Ohio State over two seasons before losing his starting role last fall to the more experienced J.T. Barrett. Jones led the Buckeyes to a national championship two years ago with postseason wins over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon in the first three starts of his career. He returned as the starter in 2015 but directed a slow-starting offense that struggled often until Barrett began to take over the job in late October.
Jones will bring big arm strength and exciting ability as a rusher to Buffalo, along with a big learning curve.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
