By this point, NXT talent are expected to reach a certain level down in developmental and possibly capture gold before moving on to the main roster. But considering there is no telling whether they will sink or swim upon arriving on Raw or SmackDown Live, some stars are better off staying in NXT for as long as possible.

Adam Cole is the archetype of someone who could benefit from staying in NXT as opposed to being rushed up to the main roster without any real plan in place. That has happened with multiple promising prospects in the past, but Cole should be the exception seeing as how he is too good to be wasted.

In all fairness, someone such as Cole could have been brought up to the big leagues of WWE from the get-go. Then again, he would have missed the opportunity to allow the fanbase to get familiar with him in NXT. So far, he has been one of the brightest stars on the roster.

Cole was positioned as a top talent in NXT upon his debut, when he, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish joined forces at TakeOver: Brooklyn III to target then-NXT champion Drew McIntyre. The group, known as The Undisputed Era, wasted no time in creating chaos and shaking the black-and-yellow brand to its core.

The key to the success was in their booking and how they have yet to be conquered by any one force. For example, they reigned supreme in the first NXT WarGames main event and captured the NXT Tag Team Championships shortly thereafter.

Cole, specifically, stood out coming into 2018 by taking Aleister Black to the limit at TakeOver: Philadelphia and becoming the inaugural NXT North American champion at TakeOver: New Orleans. Clearly, NXT's powers that be realize his worth as a main event player and have handled him accordingly.

It could be a completely different story on the main roster. There is no guarantee that Cole will be given the same type of treatment on either one of the main brands, and only an elite few have been able to break through that glass ceiling and cement their status as stars.

Kevin Owens, Charlotte Flair, Braun Strowman, Alexa Bliss, and Seth Rollins all managed to withstand WWE's bad booking to attain success. However, there have been a number of other examples of former NXT champions who amounted to nothing on the main roster, such as Chad Gable, Bo Dallas and Sanity.

The most prominent problem NXT call-ups run into on Raw and SmackDown is that they lack direction and consequently flounder for months on end. Therefore, Cole is being called up to feud with a notable name from the start, he would be better off in NXT for the foreseeable future.

NXT's talent pool is as stacked as it has ever been. In addition to Cole, the black-and-yellow brand boasts the likes of Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Velveteen Dream, EC3 and Ricochet among its male competitors.

Despite the abundance of star power in NXT, Cole finds a way to remain relevant, usually by being involved in the main storyline on the show. He and the rest of Undisputed Era are feuding with War Raiders, Ricochet and Pete Dunne, a rivalry that should culminate in a WarGames match at November's TakeOver event.

Although there were rumblings among fans that Cole would be main roster-bound following TakeOver: Brooklyn IV after losing the NXT North American title, it would be foolish to promote him to the grand stage without O'Reilly, Fish and Roderick Strong by his side, especially at a time when Raw and SmackDown don't necessarily need him.

There is no rhyme or reason behind when NXT wrestlers are called up, but in looking at NXT alumni who have had extended stays on the brand, they are usually the ones who have had better chances of thriving in WWE.

Sami Zayn, whose NXT stint lasted longer than it probably should have, surfaced on Raw at the perfect time ahead of WrestleMania 32 to rekindle his rivalry with Kevin Owens. It was refreshing compared to saving him as a post-WrestleMania surprise, and during his time in NXT, he was able to help elevate fellow up-and-coming athletes while boosting his own stock.

From his exceptional mic skills to his above-average in-ring abilities, Cole has no business being the next Tyler Breeze on the main roster by prematurely moving up. He can more of an asset to NXT than WWE's main roster.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is an Endicott College alumnus and aspiring journalist. Visit his website, Next Era Wrestling, and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.