2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jacob Eason

2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2020 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Trey Adams, OT, Washington Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Bradley Anae, DE, Utah Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Joe Burrow, QB, LSU K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame Nick Coe, DE, Auburn Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State Marlon Davidson, DE, Auburn Ashtyn Davis, S, California Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama Grant Delpit, S, LSU Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne Troy Dye, LB, Oregon J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU Jon Greenard, DE, Florida Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA Robert Hunt, G, La.-Lafayette Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn Austin Jackson, OT, USC Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah Josh Jones, OT, Houston Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Walker Little, OT, Stanford Jordan Love, QB, Utah State Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Zack Moss, RB, Utah Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Trey Smith, OT, Tennessee D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

Jacob Eason, 6-6/227 Quarterback Washington

Jacob Eason Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Cannon for an arm

Can make all the throws

Can fire fastballs into tight windows

Accurate passer in the short to intermediate part of the field

Dangerous to push the ball downfield

Good size

Tough to tackle

Stands tall in the pocket

Was in a pro-style offense for two years under Jim Chaney

Weaknesses:

Raw

Inconsistent

Lacks instincts as a passer

Struggles to process post-snap

Holds the ball too long

Needs to get faster at working through progressions

Must get quicker at working through the process

Not mobile; not athletic

Not as mobile as he thinks he is

Needs to put more touch on his passes

Should throw a softer, more catchable ball

Drifts backward in the pocket rather than climb the pocket

Summary: Eason was a top recruit who landed at Georgia out of high school. With the Bulldogs, he got good experience working in an offense under a respected coordinator with Jim Chaney that correlates more to the NFL than the vast majority of college offenses being used. In his freshman season as the starter, Eason completed 55 percent of his passes in 2016 for 2,430 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He injured in the 2017 season opener for Georgia, and Jake Fromm took over as and remained as the starter for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs didn’t want to change their winning formula once Eason was healthy, keeping Eason as the backup. After the 2017 season, Eason transferred to Washington causing him to sit out the 2018 season.

In 2019, Eason completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had an inconsistent season, flashing some brilliance at times and below-average play at other times. Eason should have returned for his senior year, but he entered the 2020 NFL Draft.

There is no doubt that Eason has special arm talent, as he possess a right arm cannon capable of making all the throws necessary in the NFL. He can fire fastballs into tight windows and beat good coverage with his ability to rifle the ball past defenders. Eason demonstrates pocket presence and is willing to stand in the pocket in the face of the rush. He stretches defenses vertically and is dangerous to push the ball deep downfield. Eason is accurate in the short to intermediate part of the field and throws some beautiful deep balls.

There are lot of areas for improvement for Eason at the NFL level. He is raw and inconsistent, thus he is a developmental prospect and not a candidate to start right away. Team sources say Eason struggles to process post-snap, which appears in a variety of ways. He holds the ball too long as a result and must get faster at working through progressions. He also has to get faster in the process of reading defenses, seeing his receivers, and getting the ball out. Those are the big issues for Eason, and if he doesn’t fix them, he’s going to struggle at the pro level.

Eason has some other technical issues that are common with big-armed quarterbacks. There are too many throws on which Eason fires fastballs when he needs to put more air underneath the ball with touch passes that are easier for his receivers to catch. Eason should work on throwing a softer and more catchable ball to avoid drops and missed opportunities. While Eason is willing to use his feet, he is not as mobile as he thinks he is, which allows defenders to consistently chase him down. That issue will only be exacerbated in the NFL due to the faster defenders. Additionally, Eason has a tendency to drift backward because of his arm strength when he needs to climb the pocket. Doing that makes his offensive tackles job more difficult because they can’t funnel rushers around the pocket to protect him.

Eason has the arm, size, and pocket presence to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. However, if he doesn’t develop and improve, he could be limited to being a backup. Teams are projecting Eason to be selected on the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft, but his stock is very fluid.



Player Comparison: Joe Flacco/Zach Mettenberger. When Eason played well, he reminded me of Flacco. When Eason was playing poorly, he reminded me of Mettenberger. Eason could end up being something between them as a pro.

2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2020 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Trey Adams, OT, Washington Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Bradley Anae, DE, Utah Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville Tyler Biadasz, C, Wisconsin Ross Blacklock, DT, TCU Jordyn Brooks, ILB, Texas Tech Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Joe Burrow, QB, LSU K'Lavon Chaisson, DE, LSU Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame Nick Coe, DE, Auburn Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State Marlon Davidson, DE, Auburn Ashtyn Davis, S, California Raekwon Davis, DT, Alabama Grant Delpit, S, LSU Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne Troy Dye, LB, Oregon J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Jacob Eason, QB, Washington Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU Jordan Elliott, DT, Missouri A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU Jon Greenard, DE, Florida Yetur Gross-Matos, DE, Penn State Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson Darnay Holmes, CB, UCLA Robert Hunt, G, La.-Lafayette Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn Austin Jackson, OT, USC Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah Josh Jones, OT, Houston Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Walker Little, OT, Stanford Jordan Love, QB, Utah State Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Zack Moss, RB, Utah Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Henry Ruggs, WR, Alabama Cesar Ruiz, C, Michigan Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Trey Smith, OT, Tennessee D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa Chase Young, DE, Ohio State

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