What did the draft pundits say about Eason?
The Indianapolis Colts waited until the final day of the 2020 NFL draft to add a quarterback to the roster and did so by selecting Washington’s Jacob Eason with the No. 122 overall pick.
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Though he was projected to be a Day 2 pick, Eason slid in the draft reportedly due to work ethic and accountability issues. General manager Chris Ballard feels those issues have been overstated a bit, but it led to the Colts getting him in the fourth round.
Eason is widely known as a quarterback with a lot of physical attributes, but he must develop his instincts, decision-making and overall progression abilities when kept clean and under pressure.
Here’s what some notable draft pundits and analysts said about Eason entering the draft:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide): A one-year starter at Washington, Eason lined up under center and in the gun in Chris Petersen’s shotgun spread offense. A Georgia transfer, he has only two seasons as a full-time starter in college and as a result evaluators don’t have the chance to track his development in the same system in back-to-back years. Eason rips strikes to every level of the field and although his throwing anticipation has yet to mature, his velocity allows him to compensate. He isn’t a bad athlete, but his footwork and mobility are non-threatening parts of his game, lacking rhythm in his pocket movements. Overall, Eason is well-built with elite-level arm talent, but his NFL future hinges on his underdeveloped instincts and his struggles negotiating pressure, displaying NFL starting potential in a vertical, downfield passing attack if he can improve in those key areas.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “His elite size and arm talent are reminiscent of Carson Palmer, but issues with pocket poise and getting through progressions cleanly are more reminiscent of Brock Osweiler. Eason is fun to watch when he’s ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured. He’s relatively inexperienced and should continue to develop from the pocket, but poise is hard to fix, and handling exotic blitz packages is not a given. He’s a pro-style, play-action-based quarterback with average starter potential and an average backup floor.”
Jordan Reid, The Draft Network: “With just over two full seasons of experience as a full-time starter, Eason shows positive signs of growth, but it also involved lots of up and down play. While his peaks are ultra-intriguing, there’s a huge mix of bad plays littered in as well. Right now, he’s more of a thrower than a pitcher – meaning that he wants everything to be fastball instead of switching up his pitches to compensate for the certain types of necessities and for who he’s throwing to.
His back and forth dilemma with consistency will result in him always facing questions of whether or not he can take the next step in his development. His arm strength and baseline traits will help him eventually become a starter, but it ultimately will come down to his decision making and if he can hone in on the turnovers. If able to do that, he could eventually turn into a starter.”
Patrick Conn, Draft Wire: “Eason is your prototypical pocket passer. Before the likes of Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, Eason would be the type of quarterback that would be the first quarterback taken in the NFL Draft. Big arm and will stand in the pocket to make the throws. Very reminiscent of Josh Allen of Buffalo. Likely will find himself in the first round as quarterback is consistently over-drafted.”
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report: “Eason would have been a potential QB1 a decade ago, but the NFL has changed and wants quarterbacks who can win on the move. Mobility and handling pressure are Eason’s two biggest weaknesses, which is why he profiles as a scheme-dependent quarterback. While he may fit in a downfield passing attack with a good offensive line, his inability to operate on the move or when stressed in the pocket is a major concern.”
Mike Renner, Pro Football Focus (draft guide): “The high-level from Eason is very easy to fall in love with. He seems very much a rhythm passer with one big throw begetting another. Catch him in the middle of that and it’s difficult not to think of him as a first-rounder. Catch him when things start to go south though and that won’t the case whatsoever. When his offensive line couldn’t hold up in the Utah game, Eason looked like he was in the dreaded ‘quicksand’ Shane Falco laments. That sort of panic was consistent with him though every time he saw a legit defensive line. That’s too worrisome for me to think of him as a top prospect.”
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