Luke Easterling updates his full seven-round projections for the 2020 NFL Draft
We’re less than two weeks away from the 2020 NFL Draft, and as teams and prospects prepare for one of the most unique draft experiences in league history, it’s time to give you one last projection for all seven rounds of this year’s event.
This year’s draft will be a completely virtual experience for the league, the teams and the players, more closely resembling a fantasy football draft than what we’ve become accustomed to over the years.
In any event, here’s my updated look at how every pick could shake out later this month:
1. Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU
2. Washington Redskins | Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State
3. Detroit Lions | Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State
4. New York Giants | Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa
5. Miami Dolphins | Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama
6. Los Angeles Chargers | Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon
A cannon arm and towering stature cannot be taught, and Eason has both in spades.
(Jennifer Buchanan, USA TODAY Sports)
Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason was the starter at Georgia before a 2017 Week 1 injury cost him his job to Jake Fromm, so a 2018 transfer brought Eason back to his home state. He’d go on to post respectable numbers in 2019 after being forced to sit out the ’18 season due to the transfer, so Eason missed nearly two full years before getting back on the field.
Coming out of high school in Washington, he was recruited as the top pro-style quarterback. As a starting true freshmen for Georgia, Eason would flash elements of why he earned such a distinction. He picked it up nicely in 2019 and started all 13 contests for the Huskies.
There’s a great deal about Eason to like at the next level, but it is impossible to watch him and not see glaring deficiencies in some areas of his game that may not be correctable through coaching.
Table: Jacob Eason NCAA stats (2016-17, 2019)
Year
Team
Comp
Att
Comp%
Yds
Avg
TD
INT
Long
Att
Yds
TD
2016
UGA
204
370
55.1
2,430
6.6
16
8
77
33
-45
1
2017
UGA
4
7
57.1
28
4.0
0
0
10
3
-12
0
2019
WASH
260
405
64.2
3,132
7.7
23
8
57
46
-69
1
He’s a project in the NFL, and even in the best of settings, Eason’s peak performance may not materialize quickly enough before a team moves on. Physical tools can be intoxicating to some coaches and general mangers, however.
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Pros
Arguably the strongest arm in the draft — can rip it from anywhere on the field and make all of the NFL throws (including a few that coaches won’t recommend attempting)
Sturdy frame to take hits in the pocket
Ideal fit for a play-action system with a strong running game
Showed improved accuracy in 2019 and maintains it at all levels
Can overcome issues with timing and anticipation based on his arm strength (which also can work against him)
Understands how to change his trajectory and arm angles
Showed he can overcome injury and transfer adversity
Cons
That arm strength can get him into trouble by being overly reliant on it
Too much “deer in headlights” against the blitz and tends to look for an escape or eat a sack before making it through his reads when feeling pressure
Mechanics could use some refinement, which is likely a product of having so much natural arm talent
Lacks functional athleticism in the running game — through and through a pocket passer, which limits his system fits
Inconsistently uses his eyes to look off defenders and struggles to see the whole field with regularity
Fantasy football outlook
Eason will attract some teams during the middle rounds of the draft, and it’s not crazy to think he could go late in the second round, but it will require the right situation.
He’s an ideal project for Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay, because he’ll have two years to learn behind the best QB the game has seen, and Arians’ coaching style complements Eason’s traits.
The likelihood Eason starts in the first two years (or even three) of his career appear to be low. He offers coachable traits that “wow” on tape but also makes far too many mental mistakes that may be borderline impossible to coach out of someone. There’s more Brock Osweiler than Joe Flacco here in the poise department, and it’s going to be a battle to overcome. In Eason’s case, he has the best of Flacco’s physical traits, plus a desire to go down the field, and the worst of Osweiler’s “Bambi on ice” moments.
There is no immediate fantasy football value to be found here, and even dynasty leaguers may want to think twice before investing in Eason’s future success.
Who did the Colts take in Sporting news latest mock?
The 2020 NFL draft is less than two weeks away and while it will be a different format than we’ve ever seen before, the biggest event of the offseason is going to arrive.
The Colts have seven selections in the upcoming draft, all of which are in Rounds 2–6. Trades are a part of their draft plan and are almost a guarantee for Chris Ballard whether he’s looking to move up to grab a player or move back and add a later pick.
Sporting News ran a seven-round mock draft on Friday. Here’s what the haul looked like for the Colts:
Day 2: Rounds 2–3
No. 34: WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State No. 44: TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame No. 75: QB Jacob Eason, Washington
After making some big moves to the defensive side of the ball during free agency, the Colts went and added some playmakers to the other side in this mock draft. Aiyuk should be an exciting prospect for the Colts given what he can do vertically and after the catch. However, there are concerns about his ability to beat press coverage on the boundary, which means he’d likely be relegated to the slot.
Kmet is one of the top tight ends in the draft and would be a fantastic addition to a room that needs a future. His blocking needs development, but he’d be a nice fit in the scheme for Frank Reich.
Eason is a volatile prospect with a high ceiling given his arm talent. His footwork and decision-making have to improve but there would likely be more optimism given that he would sit at least a year behind Philip Rivers.
Day 3: Rounds 4–6
No. 122: OT Alex Taylor, South Carolina State No. 160: EDGE Alex Highsmith, Charlotte No. 193: LB Jason Strnad, Wake Forest No. 197: WR James Proche, SMU
All developmental players on Day 3 for the Colts here. Taylor is intriguing as a prospect given his size (6’8″ – 308) and length (36.125″). He’s a mauler on the edge with a mean streak in the run game but needs to refine his technique with his pass protection.
Highsmith would be a solid addition in the fifth round. He’s explosive off the edge and would fit nicely in the one-gap front for the Colts. Have him develop behind Justin Houston, Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu.
Strnad is an intriguing linebacker prospect for the Colts and fits the bill of being a rangy playmaker in the middle of the field. He’d slide as a WILL behind Darius Leonard but has some intriguing traits to fill in as a depth piece.
Proche is a contested-catch receiver with strong tracking skills and the ability to challenge on 50/50 balls. But his lack of refinement as a route runner could keep him lower on the depth chart while working on special teams.
The Indianapolis Colts have enjoyed quite a busy offseason following their big moves in free agency, and they have always been a team that moves around the NFL draft order since Chris Ballard took over as general manager.
The draft is unpredictable and even teams don’t know if and when they will be moving up the draft board, but the Colts have shown they don’t mind trading up for a player if they truly value him at a certain spot.
Without a first-round pick in the draft, there is a chance the Colts will be looking to move up into Day 1 if their type of prospect falls to a certain range. Even outside of the quarterback position, there are some options the Colts could target for a trade-up opportunity in the first round.
Here are five players the Colts could trade up for in the first round of the draft:
Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Jordan Love | QB | Utah State
Love has become somewhat of a polarizing prospect among the draft community. On one side, Love is viewed as this raw prospect with untapped potential who just needs the right fit and the right coach. On the other side, there are analysts who simply don’t understand why there is so much love for Love as a Day 1 prospect.
Regardless, teams often feel different than pundits on certain players. The Colts may feel pretty highly about Love, especially given their reported interest this offseason. Love’s volatile range of outcomes could certainly cause him to drop in the draft, which means he could enter a range where the Colts feel comfortable trading up for their potential future at the quarterback position.
The ideal spot would be for Love to fall to the late 20s, where the Colts wouldn’t have to give up too much to move up but still get that fifth-year option. But they may have to be cautious as both the Patriots (No. 23) and the Saints (No. 24) have been listed as potential destinations for Love.
There is a lot of concern for Love’s career projection, but one of the best landing spots for him would be the Colts. If he gets in the range, Love might be worth pulling the trigger to move up.
The Indianapolis Colts are just a few weeks out from the 2020 NFL draft, which is still scheduled for the final week in April.
As the draft approaches, there are many ways the Colts can go about selecting their prospects. Without a first-round pick, Indy won’t be on the clock until the No. 34 selection. What direction they will go with that is anyone’s guess.
Our friends over at Draft Wire conducted a three-round mock draft. Here are the results for the Colts in the latest simulation:
No. 34 | Jacob Eason | QB | Washington
The Colts stayed put at the No. 34 pick and selected a high-upside quarterback prospect with a big arm. There is a lot to like about Eason’s game, enough to make him a projectable prospect learning under the ranks of Philip Rivers and Frank Reich.
Eason has a big arm and plenty of areas to improve upon, but he has a high ceiling and with some time to develop under Rivers and Reich, there would be plenty of optimism in this selection.
No. 44 | Laviska Shenault Jr. | WR | Colorado
This would be a major steal for the Colts if they were able to get Shenault at No. 44. The only concerns being a core muscle injury he suffered during the NFL combine and with that, he still ran a 4.58 at 6-foot-1, 227 pounds.
Shenault is a true X-receiver and would fill a big need for the Colts as their future WR1. He brings a solid blend of size, speed and ability to beat the press makes him an excellent prospect for the Colts. The only worry is that he’s likely to go in the first round of the draft.
No. 75 | Bradlee Anae | EDGE | Utah
A high motor with the ability to set the edge as a 4-3 base defensive end, Anae is an interesting prospect for the Colts. He brings plenty of juice out his stance and finds ways to get upfield quickly, which would be a strong fit for the Colts’ attacking front.
Anae would likely fall into the rotation behind Kemoko Turay and Justin Hosuton on the egde.
Luke Easterling updates his three-round projections for the 2020 NFL draft, complete with comp picks and a few surprises
April is officially upon us, and that means we’re just a few weeks away from the 2020 NFL draft.
This year’s event will obviously look much different than we’re used to, thanks to league and government restrictions and regulations put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The league is still moving forward with the event on the scheduled dates (April 23rd-25th), but fan events in Las Vegas have been cancelled, and the entire draft will take place virtually.
As we head into the home stretch, here’s an updated look at how the first three rounds of this year’s draft could shake out.
Despite rumors to the contrary, this has been set in stone for quite a while. Burrow won’t make trouble about playing in Cincy, and the Bengals finally get the franchise quarterback they so desperately need.
2. Washington Redskins
Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State
This is another no-brainer pick. Unless Washington gets a huge offer from a QB-needy team trying to jump ahead of everyone else on the board, this has to be the selection. Young is the best overall prospect in this year’s class, which makes him a steal anywhere else but No. 1 overall.
3. Detroit Lions
Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State
I’m betting the Lions would love to move down from this spot, and they’re sure to have plenty of willing trade partners with some talented QB prospects on the board. If not, though, expect them to replace the recently traded Darius Slay with Okuda, this year’s best corner prospect by far.
4. New York Giants
Tristan Wirfs | OT | Iowa
Any of this year’s top four offensive tackle prospects could make a strong case to go here, which is good news for the Giants, who need a franchise player at the position. Wirfs is a rare athlete for his size, and has as much upside as any other tackle in the class. He’s ready to protect Daniel Jones from Day 1.
5. Miami Dolphins
Justin Herbert | QB | Oregon
I’ve resisted the urge to jump on this bandwagon, but I think there might be some fire to this smoke. There’s no denying Tua Tagovailoa’s incredible upside, but there’s also no arguing the long-term durability concerns, considering his injury history. If the Dolphins want a safer bet, don’t be surprised if they prefer Herbert here.
After taking Will Dissly in 2018 and Ben Burr-Kirven in 2019, will the Seattle Seahawks select someone from UW again in the 2020 NFL draft?
For a long time, the Seattle Seahawks did not select players from nearby University of Washington in the NFL draft.
Then, a few years into the Chris Petersen era out on Montlake, the Huskies started churning out quality NFL talent – and Pete Carroll and his squad got in on the action.
The Seahawks have been thrilled with the performance of Will Dissly, a 2018 fourth round pick who began his career at UW at defensive end but transitioned to tight end for his final few years.
Dissly was joined by another teammate, linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven, who the Seahawks nabbed in the fifth round in 2019.
While BBK was a reserve linebacker and core special teamer last season, the Seahawks view him as a key piece for the future and have been very happy with their two recent UW draft picks.
The question now is if Seattle will target anyone else from UW for the 2020 draft. While there are plenty of talented players from Washington expected to go in the first few rounds, the two most notable players (tight end Hunter Bryant and quarterback Jacob Eason) don’t play positions of need for the Seahawks, leaving them with fewer options to choose from.
However, there are still three players the Seahawks could pursue, including a pair of offensive linemen and a defensive back that all could be good fits for Carroll and company.
Touchdown Wire analyzes the strengths, weaknesses of this year’s QB class, including Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love and Jake Fromm.
This was supposed to be the Season of Tua.
The Alabama passer, coming off a strong 2018 campaign, was poised to be the premier quarterback in this draft class. Sure, players such as Oregon’s Justin Herbert and perhaps an upstart like Utah State’s Jordan Love might make some noise, but Tua Tagovailoa was expected by many to be the quarterback teams were clamoring for at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Someone forgot to tell Ed Orgeron and Joe Burrow.
The LSU Tigers, in part riding the magical right arm of Burrow, ran to the top of the college football world this season. Burrow, the former Ohio Mr. Football who transferred out of a crowded quarterback room at Ohio State to the SEC and Orgeron’s Tigers, broke record after record as a passer this season, leading the Tigers to a championship win over Clemson. A quarterback who before the season was viewed as a fringe Day 3 prospect now is expected to be the first player selected overall.
As for Tagovailoa, lower body injuries, including a season-ending hip injury, have clouded his draft status. That has opened the door for perhaps a player like Herbert or Love — or even both — to come off the board before the Alabama QB.
So how do the top eleven passers in this year’s crop of quarterbacks shake out?
Bio: A highly regarded recruit coming out of high school, where he was named Ohio Mr. Football his final season at Athens High School, Joe Burrow started his college career at Ohio State. However, with a crowded quarterback room that included Dwayne Haskins, J.T. Barrett and Tate Martell, Burrow eventually found his way to the transfer market and the LSU Tigers.
It is difficult to recall a rise like Burrow has experienced over the past season. Given the extensive, year-round coverage that the NFL draft receives online and in print, the summer scouting season often uncovers a few wild cards at every position, quarterback included. This past summer, players such as Cole McDonald of Hawaii and K.J. Costello from Stanford were mentioned as possible draft board risers. Yet Burrow was almost an afterthought. Even someone who wrote about him, like me, still viewed him as a Day 3 guy.
But then, this season happened. Burrow put together a memorable senior season, capping it with a Heisman Trophy and a national championship. Only, this was not your father’s LSU passing game. The Tigers were an aerial assault this season, with Burrow setting FBS and school records in a number of categories. His 60 passing touchdowns are a new FBS record, and his efficiency rating of 202.0 is also a collegiate record. His 5,671 passing yards are a new single-season record at LSU, and his 76 career touchdowns (remember, 60 of those came last season) are a new mark at the school, besting Tommy Hodson’s previous mark of 69.
Stat to Know: Burrow’s numbers this season are all prolific, and any of the previous numbers mentioned could fit this category. However, when you consider that in the NFL the vast majority of throws are made within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, Burrow this season completed 206 passes on 238 attempts for 15 touchdowns and not a single interception on throws in the 0-9 yards downfield range. His passer rating in that area was 122.9.
Strengths: However, Burrow is not the top quarterback in this class for the numbers he put on the field, but rather how he put those numbers together. He displayed throughout his senior campaign the traits and work that are desired in the league. He displayed accuracy to all levels of the field, and Pro Football Focus charted him with the highest percentage of on-target passes of any quarterback in their four seasons of measuring that statistic.
Beyond that, Burrow’s ability to maneuver around crowded and collapsing pockets has him ready to handle life as an NFL quarterback. In Joe Brady’s offense, the vast majority of the passing plays were five-man protection schemes, leaving Burrow responsible for that sixth, unaccounted for, defender. But he was adept at either using his legs to extend plays (all while keeping his eyes downfield) or finding his hot receiver to make the defense pay for blitzing him.
Burrow also has the ability to make anticipation throws, better than his peers and among the best we have seen from a prospect in recent history. His ability to get the ball out on time and in rhythm, before his target makes his break, is going to give his receivers a chance after the catch from Day One … and make his receivers very happy.
Finally, Burrow does a lot of the little things extremely well as a quarterback, from using his eyes to influence defenders to employing shoulder shrugs and/or pump fakes to get defenders out of position. This extends from his feet to his toes. Watch his footwork in the pocket, Burrow is always in position to throw from a solid platform, even if he is moved off his spot, or carrying out a mesh with the running back on an RPO design.
Weaknesses: Perhaps the biggest weakness with Burrow is that the rise almost seems too perfect. It makes one wonder if it was the quarterback, or Joe Brady’s offense, that led to his rocketing up draft boards. Burrow is not a huge threat as a runner. He will get you what he can with his legs, but defenses are not going to dedicate a ton of resources to stopping him as a ball-carrier. He lacks upper-level arm talent, and on some of his deeper throws he needs to put more air on the football. However, he is still very accurate down the field, and his ability to anticipate helps him in this regard.
Conclusion: Burrow is a scheme-diverse, well-rounded quarterback prospect who should be the top player off the board come draft night. His lack of fear in the pocket and his willingness to give his receivers a chance is going to win the respect of teammates early in his career. His ability to anticipate throws and extend plays is going to lengthen his career. Finally, you cannot oversell the competitive toughness factor. Sometimes you just know when a quarterback inspires those around him, and you saw that this season with Burrow and the Tigers. He has that it factor, and it matters at the quarterback position.
Comparison: Tony Romo with a small side of Tom Brady. Look, comparisons are dangerous, especially when you slide in Tom Brady’s name next to a quarterback. But watching Burrow’s footwork in the pocket, from creating space to keeping his feet ready to throw, gives me Brady vibes. Overall, Burrow is very similar to the former Dallas Cowboy.
The Steelers look for Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement in new ESPN mock draft.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have only one pick in the Top 100 in the 2020 NFL draft. This means barring a trade to stockpile picks, Pittsburgh cannot miss with this pick. But will the Steelers take the philosophy of drafting a player who can have an impact as a rookie, or look to the future?
In the new two-round mock draft by Todd McShay of ESPN, he took the look-to-the-future approach with Pittsburgh’s second-round pick. Instead of opting for a defender who can come in and fill a void or an upgrade at a skill position, McShay looks to the successor for Ben Roethlisberger and goes with former Washington quarterback Jacob Eason.
Here’s what McShay had to say about the pick.
Ben Roethlisberger isn’t getting any younger, and last season showed us that the other quarterbacks in Pittsburgh’s system aren’t the future. Eason has some developing to do, but there’s no denying his raw arm strength and terrific measurables. Learning behind Roethlisberger for a season could help him find success at the next level.
In studying Eason it’s clear he is the definition of a high risk/high reward prospect. His ceiling is as high as any quarterback in the draft. He’s got an ideal frame for the NFL game, one of the strongest arms in the draft and is a smart player. But his inconsistency really gives him a low floor as well if he doesn’t get proper coaching.
There’s no denying the similarities between Eason and Roethlisberger which makes this pick seem far more plausible. But would a player like wide receiver Jalen Reagor or running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire do more to give the Steelers a chance to win while Roethlisberger is playing well?
Who did the Colts take in Draft Wire’s latest mock draft?
The 2020 NFL draft is still scheduled for the end of April, which means the Indianapolis Colts are hard at work trying to do whatever they can to finalize their draft board.
With the draft just under a month away and still on schedule, the league has just gotten through the big wave of free agency. With that, most of the big moves have already been made and the league will settle before entering the draft.
Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire conducted a four-round mock draftfour-round mock draft following the big moves of free agency. Here’s a breakdown of what the haul for the Colts looks like:
No. 34 | Jacob Eason | QB | Washington
Even after signing Philip Rivers to a one-year deal, the Colts are likely looking at the quarterback position in the draft. Whether that comes here in the second round with their first pick in the draft or whether they decide to wait on the position, it is likely the Colts will try to address the quarterback room.
Eason is certainly an intriguing prospect. He brings some big arm talent and intriguing qualities for the Colts to develop. But they would have to develop him. Matt Danely over at Stampede Blue did a wonderful job highlighting Eason as a prospect.
Overall, I’m very intrigued with Eason. He’s got a lot of potential at the next level, and looks to have the skillset that teams will want to bring in with hopes of developing a guy into a potential starter. Eason is a fiery guy, he stands tall in the pocket, delivers a beautifully accurate ball the vast majority of the time, and typically makes the right decision.
With Rivers and Brissett under contract through 2020, the Colts should have time to develop Eason.
