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Connor Cook vs. Cardale Jones: NFL Draft Stock Comparison
Connor Cook and Cardale Jones are two high-profile prospects in this year's NFL Draft. Let's compare the draft stock of these quarterbacks.
March 9, 2016
Connor Cook and Cardale Jones are two high-profile prospects in this year’s NFL Draft. Let’s compare the draft stock of these quarterbacks.
This year’s crop of quarterbacks isn’t exactly stellar. While there plenty of prospects with talent, there isn’t a single name standing out as a perennial “franchise quarterback.”
This time last year, Jones might have been the third quarterback drafted behind Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. He had the momentum and hype having just led the Buckeyes to a national championship. The “12 Guage” stock was at its peak.
Well, that stock dropped hard when he lost the starting job to J.T. Barrett last season.
As far as Cook goes, he has first-round talent without a doubt, but the problem lies in non-football characteristics. He wasn’t a captain for the Michigan State Spartans last season, and he skipped out on the Senior Bowl, which is a prime evaluation time for scouts to analyze quarterbacks.
Both Cook and Jones have the physical tools to be successful at the next level, they’ve each lost steam during the evaluation process. Let’s break down their NFL Draft stocks and see how each is trending following the combine.
Health
Cook
Health has rarely been an issue for Cook. After taking a redshirt in 2011 and backing up Andrew Maxwell in 2012, Cook appeared in 14 games as a redshirt-sophomore and went 12-1 as the starter. By the time his tenure with the Spartans was over, Cook had started 39 of his 43 career games. He did suffer a shoulder injury against Maryland on Nov. 14, and that kept him out of the Ohio State game the following week. It hampered him toward the end of the season, but it didn’t bother him too much at the combine. There’s no health risk with Cook.
Jones
There really weren’t a ton of opportunities for Jones to get injured until the 2014 season. In the first seven games of that year he only attempted 17 passes. Barrett then went down, and Jones stepped in to carry the Buckeyes through the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff, securing a national championship in the process. While he was relatively healthy in 2015, he did lose his job to Barrett. The health concern with him is in his right hamstring, which he tweaked while running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Still, he should be fine moving forward.
Measurements
Both players are fairly similar in height, arm length and hand size. But when looking at the two quarterbacks side by side, Jones’ glaring weight advantage over Cook is immediately evident. It’s not that Cook is skinny or frail, but Jones’ size will allow him to not only withstand hits in the pocket but to deliver hits to defensive backs and linebackers when he escapes it. Most importantly, the added pounds have not hindered Jones’ agility. He’s more mobile than Cook and uses his legs to keep defenders honest.
Production
This one was over before it even began. Sure, Jones has a national championship under his belt and was 11-0 as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback, but Cook holds the overall advantage. Cook has two Big Ten Championships to his name while Jones has one. The former Spartan is the winningest quarterback in program history with a 34-5 record. He holds the Michigan State records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense and pass attempts.
Player Comparisons
Cook
When watching film of Cook, there’s one player whom he most resembles: Kirk Cousins. Aside from the fact both played for Michigan State, they’re nearly congruent in size and play a similar style. Both are highly competitive with the ability to drive the ball down the field. Cook doesn’t shift his weight as well as Cousins does when delivering the ball, which leads to some of his throws sailing high. Both possess fairly quick releases and the ability to throw on the run.
Jones
It’s nearly impossible to find another quarterback to whom Jones is completely comparable because there are so many variables. Nevertheless, here’s a three-headed monster to think about: Byron Leftwich, Daunte Culpepper and Michael Vick. His pocket presence is similar to Leftwich — Jones struggles with pressure in his face, and his footwork and bounce are the same. Jones throws a great deep ball like Culpepper and can make plays with his feet like the former Minnesota Viking did — embracing contact while using his agility, too. However, both Leftwich and Culpepper had longer, slower deliveries than Jones. His throwing style looks more like Vick, who had a more compact delivery than the other two but still flashed big-league arm strength. Those are some great qualities to have.
Best Team Fits
Cook
Jones
A lot of teams would love to wind up with Jones in the middle of the draft. His potential is sky high, and he could really make some noise in the NFL with a few years of studying and backing up a polished quarterback. The Browns, Rams and Texans don’t have that kind of situation to offer.
Projection
Connor Cook – No. 45 overall, Los Angeles Rams
Cardale Jones – No. 120 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers
MORE: Who’s First Off The Board, Ezekiel Elliott Or Derrick Henry?
