Jacob Eason: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Let me get something out of the way up front.
I have been trying to predict a Bruce Arians/Draft QB marriage almost as lond as I have been in the football writing game. My first attempt was to pair Arians with Cardale Jones, as I thought that style of offense would fit best with what Jones brought to the table. It did not come to fruition.
Then it was 2017, and the quarterback I thought would work best under Arians and his “no risk it no biscuit” philosophy was Patrick Mahomes. That was something that Arians perhaps considered, given what he told the media on Tuesday of last week in response to a question from our own Doug Farrar: “His (pre-draft) interview wias up there with Andrew Luck, in terms of knowing what the hell he was doing. It’s no shock to me that he’s great.”
Perhaps the third time is a charm (although I am going to have a Plan B for Arians in a moment).
Like Herbert, Eason also brings athleticism and a big arm to the table as a prospect. I was excited to watch his throwing session at the combine, as I thought it would be an opportunity for him to highlight the powerful arm that scouts covet. While he missed on some of his earlier throws, he seemed to settle in when the routes started to push the vertical passing game.
That is where his fit with Arians comes into play.
With an offensive philosophy rooted in the Air Coryell school of thought, Arians looks to create one-on-one opportunities for receivers downfield while still giving his quarterback options to attack the defense in other areas of the field.
For example, many teams have a variation of “H-Post” in their offensive playbook. But as this article from USA Football illustrates, Arians tweaked the design to attack Cover-4 coverages with the post route in the middle of the field, while still giving his quarterback options underneath should the defense adjust at the snap.
Eason, unlike some of the other quarterbacks in this class, has shown a willingness to attack the middle of the field on a more consistent basis. He is adept at looking off single-high safeties and has the confidence in his arm to attack between the hashmarks. In a system like what Arians runs, he could be effective very early in his career.