Philip Rivers is coming to Indy, but what draft prospects can they consider?
With the Indianapolis Colts trading their first-round pick in a deal to acquire defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, they currently don’t have a first-round pick, and now their first pick in the 2020 NFL draft will be at pick 34. Indianapolis currently has seven draft picks in this coming draft.
On Tuesday, the Colts agreed with Philip Rivers to a one-year deal but now don’t have a clear plan at quarterback past the 2020 season. There are a lot of different scenarios where Indianapolis could trade up, or trade down for a quarterback, but let’s look at some possible quarterback options for the Colts in this year’s draft:
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jacob Eason, Washington
The one-year starter at Washington could be an option for the Colts at 34 if they chose to go with a quarterback. Eason transferred to Washington in 2018, sat out all the year, and came in during the 2019 season and put up some decent stats. In 13 games he completed 64% of passes, for over 3,132 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Eason, like a lot of these quarterbacks coming out, is young and still a bit of a project. One positive to him is his prototypical size, 6’6″ 227 lbs, and he has a rocket for an arm. There are questions about his work ethic, and there have been teams to walk away from the draftee because of poor interviewing.
If you were to compare Eason, think of Jay Culter, and I mean the game, not the personality, both guys can push the ball downfield and are great throwing over the middle.
The veteran passer and the Indianapolis Colts agreed to terms on Tuesday. What does this mean for the present and the future in Indy?
The Indianapolis Colts have their next quarterback, agreeing to terms with veteran passer Philip Rivers. Adam Schefter among others announced the news late on Tuesday afternoon:
Former Chargers' QB Philip Rivers and the Colts reached agreement on a 1-year deal, per source.
Rivers guided the Los Angeles Chargers to the Divisional Round of the playoffs just two seasons ago, when the Chargers finished with a 12-4 record and just out of first place in the AFC West on a tiebreaker with the Kansas City Chiefs. That forced the Chargers into the fifth-seed in the playoffs, and two-straight east coast trips to Baltimore and New England respectively.
But for his part Rivers was very solid in 2018, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,308 yards and 32 touchdowns, against just 12 interceptions. His Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt (ANY//A) of 7.79 tied his 2013 campaign as his third-best mark during his career. Rivers was also a Pro Bowl selection in 2018, marking the eighth time he was selected for the post-season honor.
However, Rivers struggled last year. His ANY/A dropped by over a full yard, to 6.32. Where Rivers ranked in the top four in that category in 2018, he fell to 15th in that category in 2019. Additionally, his performance in the deep passing game struggled as well. His Adjusted Completion Percentage on throws over 20 yards, according to charting from Pro Football Focus, was 41.8, which was tied for 12th in the league.
The fit with Rivers in Indianapolis makes a great deal of sense, both schematically and in terms of the coaching fit. Head coach Frank Reich has installed an offense deeply rooted in West Coast designs, which meshes well with where Rivers is right now as a quarterback. In addition, Reich and Rivers have history, as the two spent time together when the Chargers were in San Diego, as did offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. The three will have familiarity with each other, which should certainly ease the transition.
With this being a one-year deal, it does not preclude the Colts from addressing the quarterback position in this draft class. They have been linked to passers such as Jacob Eason and Jordan Love, and with a pair of second-round picks (34 and 44 overall) they can either see if one of those quarterbacks slide into the second round, or potentially move up into the first and try and select them and take advantage of the fifth-year option.
That also makes the Rivers move logical from an organizational perspective. Both Eason and Love might need some time to develop, and having Rivers in place gives the Colts the ability to contend now, while preparing for the future. This gives Reich and company the chance to follow something of the “Mahomes Model,” in that their QB of the future can season behind an established veteran who keeps the team in position to win now.
Luke Easterling updates his prospect rankings for every position group in the 2020 NFL draft class
The NFL offseason, if there’s ever truly such a thing, is about to kick into a higher gear.
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, as well as the all-star circuit for this year’s top draft prospects. Teams are now preparing for official visits with draft hopefuls, as well as getting ready for the frenzied free-for-all that is free agency, which kicks off next week.
As the action heats up across the league, here’s an updated look at our prospect rankings for every position group in the 2020 NFL draft:
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Washington quarterback prospect Jacob Eason
Jacob Eason | QB | Washington
Elevator Pitch
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.
Big-time arm, Eason has a howitzer for an arm. He can stand in the pocket and rip it down the field with ease. He really excels on deep shots coming off of play action. Scouts will salivate at his ability to make deep breaking routes to all areas of the field. He has plus velocity that allows him to get the ball into tight spaces despite coverages.
Eason will stand in the pocket like a statue. Despite pass rushers making a beat on him, the Huskies’ quarterback will stand his ground and chuck it down the field. His strong hands also allows him to hold onto the ball even with edge rushers ripping at the ball to create a turnover.
Despite his size, Eason does a good job of moving around in the pocket if need be. He can create big plays on the move due to his arm strength and the ability to rip it at a moment’s notice. The former Georgia quarterback isn’t a high risk quarterback as he will make sound decisions even under duress.
Weaknesses
One of the big aspects of his game that Eason needs the most work on is within the pocket. His footwork can be very sloppy at times. Eason can be a bit elongated in his dropbacks. On quicker throws, needs to hurry up his process. Often times can be flat footed, while he has the arm strength to get away with it, NFL defenders will be able to take advantage of the poor mechanics. He doesn’t handle pressure well either.
When it comes to throwing the football, Eason has one pitch. Everything that comes out of his hand is a fastball. He needs to work on having more touch on the short and intermediate throws. The other part being that he needs to see the field better, at times he goes with his presnap reads and doesn’t go through his progressions.
The Indianapolis Colts are just over a week away from the start of free agency, but some of the focus is still on the ever-important first-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft.
Free agency will certainly play a part in the way the Colts go about their draft approach, but they are likely looking at a trio of positions at No. 13. They could go with a quarterback, a wide receiver or a defensive tackle.
In the latest three-round mock draft from Josh Edwards of CBS Sports, the Colts took wide receiver Jerry Jeudy as a way to add more weapons for quarterback Philip Rivers, who was a projected signing in this scenario.
The marriage of Indianapolis and Philip Rivers is a poorly kept secret at this point. If he does end up there, their focus should be adding another dynamic wide receiver to pair with T.Y. Hilton. The offense was a one-trick pony last year when Hilton was absent.
Jeudy would be a fantastic addition to the Colts wide receiver room and one that desperately needs some revamping. Jeudy is a special talent. With his route-running ability, separation and change of direction, Jeudy would be a nice fit for the Colts as T.Y. Hilton’s successor.
Further in the mock draft, the Colts have three more picks. Here’s how they wound up:
No. 34 | Jacob Eason | QB | Washington
No. 44 | Jordan Elliott | DT | Missouri
No. 75 | Brandon Aiyuk | WR | Arizona State
This is an offensively-minded mock for the Colts. They get a great duo of wide receivers, a project with a rocket arm at quarterback and a potentially penetrating defensive tackle in Elliott.
Having Jeudy and Aiyuk to go with Hilton, Parris Campbell, Zach Pascal and a potential free-agent wide receiver would make the room look much better entering the offseason.
Free agency will have a lot to do with their draft approach, but the possibilities are endless at this point.
Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling updates his first-round projections for the 2020 NFL draft, with a handful of big trades
The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine is officially in the books, and we’re already seeing draft stock moving in opposite directions for a long list of this year’s prospects.
As teams and prospects alike prepare for pro day workouts and the homestretch of this year’s predraft process, here’s an updated look at how the first round of the 2020 NFL draft could shake out, with a handful of trades that could provide a little chaos along the way.
*denotes projected trade
1. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow | QB | LSU
Burrow’s reticence in recent weeks appears to be much more about him than the Bengals, as he made clear in multiple interviews at the combine. He doesn’t want to just assume he’ll be the top pick, but if he is, it looks like he’ll have no problems putting on tiger stripes. The Bengals desperately need a quarterback who can change their fortunes, and Burrow absolutely has what it takes to make it happen.
2. Washington Redskins
Chase Young | EDGE | Ohio State
Sure, there’s plenty of talk about Washington pulling a Kyler Murray here and taking Tua Tagovailoa, despite having taken Dwayne Haskins in the first round last year. I’m not buying it just yet, especially with a rare pass rusher like Young available. If Washington isn’t bowled over by a trade offer, standing pat and taking the best player in the entire draft is anything but a consolation prize.
3. Miami Dolphins (from DET)*
Tua Tagovailoa | QB | Alabama
Of all the things I think about this draft, I’m most certain about the Lions wanting to trade out of this pick. They can move down a couple of spots, get an extra pick or two, and still probably end up with the guy they would have originally taken here anyway. The Dolphins need to make sure they get the quarterback they want, and while there are rumors that’s Oregon’s Justin Herbert instead, I still think Tua is the better option if he’s fully healthy.
4. New York Giants
Mekhi Becton | OT | Louisville
Clemson defensive weapon Isaiah Simmons is tempting here, but I just don’t see Giants GM Dave Gettleman opting for a new-age hybrid defender over a trench player, particularly with the offensive tackles that are available to him this year. Gettleman could take any of the top four tackles here and they’d all be worthy, but I’m betting on the biggest one, with the most upside, and that’s Becton.
5. Detroit Lions (from MIA)*
Jeff Okudah | CB | Ohio State
As I said earlier, this is the ideal scenario for the Lions, who still get the guy they probably would have taken at No. 3 overall. No matter what happens with Darius Slay, Okudah is the best blend of need and value here, as easily the top corner in this year’s class. He has all the physical and mental tools to be an immediate impact player for a defense that desperately needs more of them.
With the Combine in the rear view mirror, whose stock is rising, whose is falling and how has the board potentially changed?
Ah, mock draft season. With Indianapolis behind us, we can now start to imagine how the draft could play out given what we saw from the prospects at the 2020 Scouting Combine. Whose stock is rising, whose is falling, and how could — I repeat, how could — that impact the draft?
Here’s just one man’s shot at putting it together.
We can work our way into this mock with a selection that makes the most sense. The Bengals are moving on from Andy Dalton, and Joe Burrow’s magical season has rocketed him to the top of many draft boards. His decision-making, pocket presence and leadership abilities are perfect for what Cincinnati needs right now. Plus, the storyline of “local boy comes home” is sure to get fans excited.
Schematically, Burrow is a fit for what Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is looking to do offensively. With some weapons around him and some additions to the offensive line, Burrow could be in position to contribute early in his career.
2. Washington Redskins: Chase Young, EDGE, Ohio State
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sport)
There does seem to be some smoke building around the idea of Washington doing this year what the Arizona Cardinals did a season ago: Let a new regime pick their quarterback. Last year the Cardinals hired Kliff Kingsbury and let him pick the quarterback he wanted to build around. The result? Arizona moved on from Josh Rosen after a single season and drafted Kyler Murray.
Could the same thing happen to Dwayne Haskins? Rumors around Indianapolis last week seemed to indicate that it was at least a possibility. Washington reportedly met with Tua Tagovailoa and the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that new head coach Ron Rivera told the Alabama passer that, according to a source, “[t]hey want to bring in Tua, just get it going and compete.”
My thinking here is this: This is lying season. Most people believe the draft begins at the second pick, and Washington holds a lot of cards. They could stay pat and select the best overall player in the draft, the Ohio State edge rusher. But if a team is dying to move up to draft a quarterback, they’ll entertain offers. One way to drive up the price? Float the idea that you are in the quarterback market as well.
For now, I think these are all smoke screens. Washington stays pat and takes the pass rusher.
3. Detroit Lions: Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State
(Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports)
Here is where things could really get sporty.
There are concerns in Detroit regarding the status of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Back injuries the past few seasons have some wondering if it is time to prepare for a world without Stafford in Detroit. The issue is, Stafford’s contract is such that it makes much more sense from a salary cap perspective to move on from Stafford in 2021, rather than 2020.
Under Stafford’s contract, if he were to be traded or cut before June 1st, the Lions would be hit with $32 million in dead cap space for 2020, and would have a cap “savings” of minus $10.7 million for the 2020 league year.
However, if they decide to move on from Stafford prior to 2021, they would actually free up around $14M of cap space.
So the thinking here could be: Draft Tagovailoa, redshirt him for a season while Stafford plays through 2020, and then move on when Tagovailoa is fully healthy and it makes more sense from a cap perspective.
So it is a possibility that the Lions could go with a quarterback here.
At the same time, Matt Patricia must be feeling the urge to win now, and the idea of drafting a quarterback to simply redshirt him while the flames are fanned under your seat cannot feel too pleasant. In the end Detroit entertains the idea of Tagovailoa, but goes with the potential shutdown corner in Okudah.
4. Los Angeles Chargers (via trade with New York Giants): Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Now we have our first trade.
A running theme of this mock draft so far has been the Alabama quarterback. In the mix to Washington with the second pick. A potential option for Detroit with the third pick. Now this draft enters a stretch where quarterback is a possibility for a number of teams, including the Chargers at six and the Carolina Panthers at seven.
Tagovailoa has been linked to the Dolphins for a long time now, and the Chargers can read the tea leaves as well as anyone else. If they decide that Tagovailoa is their quarterback of the future, they’ll need to get in front of Miami to ensure that he is wearing the powder blues next season.
Conceptually, while there might be better fits for Tagovailoa’s skill-set, such as the Panthers as we argued yesterday, the Chargers will have the time to build around Tagovailoa and construct an offense around his strengths: His accuracy in the short area, his processing speed, and his familiarity with run/pass option designs.
5. Miami Dolphins: Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
Interestingly enough, Miami might be just fine with the Chargers leap-frogging them, as they end up with the passer that some in the building have been targeting for over a year. It was just a year ago when reports out of Miami were that Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross was interested in two quarterbacks: Tagovailoa and Herbert.
Now, with both an option for the Dolphins in this year’s draft, many have linked Miami to Tagovailoa. But the decision to hire Chan Gailey as their offensive coordinator does give them a potential schematic fit with both quarterbacks. As we argued yesterday, the Dolphins are a great fit for Herbert’s skill-set, given his background in Oregon’s spread system. That would ease his transition to the pro game, and with both Rosen and Ryan Fitzpatrick in place, they could potentially move one of those players late in training camp, depending on Herbert’s progress as a rookie this summer.
6. New York Giants (via trade with Los Angeles Chargers): Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia
(AP Photo/Butch Dill)
New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said a number of things during his media session in Indianapolis that stuck with me. Two in particular. One I will take to heart, and the other I will ignore with this move to trade down and select the Georgia offensive tackle.
When addressing the media, Gettleman indicated that trading down does carry a bit of risk. What if you trade down, he theorized, from four to eight with four players that you like on your board? You might miss out on all of them is the fear he expressed.
But given how Gettleman could play the board, and still select one of the four impressive offensive tackles in this draft, gives him an option to pick up some additional selections in this draft and continue to build around Daniel Jones.
So while I dismissed the idea of Gettleman’s trade down fear, I will take to heart something else he said. He was asked about the most important position to help a young quarterback and he instantly delivered an incredible response: “Offensive line. I’ve found that it is hard to complete a pass when lying on your back.” And in, perhaps, a shot at all the discussion over Gettleman’s thoughts on analytics he added: “I’ve done that study.”
Here, the Giants trade back and get an NFL ready offensive tackle with experience on both the right and the left sides of the line. Given his SEC pedigree, Thomas has faced some imposing pass rushers during his time in Athens, and he’ll be ready to go up against some of what the NFL has to offer. The combine might have vaulted Tristan Wirfs and Mekhi Becton up many boards, but something tells me that Gettleman will value what Thomas put on tape.
The Panthers could go in a number of directions with this pick. Quarterback is in play, depending on what new head coach Matt Rhule decides to do with Cam Newton and how he handles Kyle Allen and last year’s draft pick Will Grier. Rhule has said all the right things about Newton, he likes Grier dating back to their games against each other in the Big 12, and Allen showed promise at times last year. So it is likely that Rhule keeps all three in Carolina and looks to address other needs.
Offensive line is also an area they could address, and given what we saw from Tristan Wirfs, Mekhi Becton at the combine as well as what we saw on film all season from Jedrick Wills Jr., any one of those players could be in play if the board falls this way.
They also have needs on the defensive side of the football. They could use help up front, they could use some help at linebacker in the wake of Luke Kuechly’s retirement, and they could also use some help in the secondary.
In Simmons, they could get help at all three levels of their defense. They would get a player who has lined up on the defensive line, in the slot, as a box safety and even as a boundary cornerback. They would also get an explosive athlete who posted a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, to go with a vertical leap of 39” and a broad jump of 11’. All while measuring in at 6’3 and ½” and weighing 238 pounds. He is an absolute freak of nature, and would revamp their defense in an instant.
In a draft that is talent-laden at the wide receiver position, we have yet to hear one WR called. That streak continues, as the Cardinals pass on every wide receiver on the board to address another glaring need: Offensive line. The Cardinals desperately need to protect Murray next season, and Becton can help in that effort.
Murray was sacked 48 times last season, tied with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan for the most times sacked in the league. Now yes, sacks are not an offensive line statistic and the quarterback contributes to those sack totals, but the Cardinals do need to give him more time in the pocket. Murray was hurried 63 times last season, fifth-most in the league. With D.J. Humphries and Justin Murray as their starting tackles last season, this position could use a boost.
They get that in Becton. The massive left tackle showed some power and explosiveness both on film and during his combine workout. He has very fluid footwork for a man of his size, and his length will be an asset in Kingsbury’s offense. He could be the guy to protect Murray’s blindside for the next decade.
Scheme fit and landing spot are critical to the development of a QB. What teams make sense for this year’s quarterback class?
The more we study and evaluate prospects, the more we in the media come to a rather uncomfortable truth: Despite all the time we spend watching tape and breaking quarterbacks down and debating traits and skill-sets, none of it matters.
Why?
Because what matters more to a potential NFL prospect, especially at the quarterback position, is the scheme fit and landing spot.
Take the last two Most Valuable Players. Sure, there were some who believed Patrick Mahomes could be a great NFL quarterback, but is Mahomes reaching his level of play under a Jeff Fisher? Or Lamar Jackson. He also had believers, but he needed the right organization to buy into what he brings to the table as a quarterback.
Landing spot and scheme fit matter.
Looking at some of the prospects in this draft, where are the best landing spots for them?
Joe Burrow: Cincinnati Bengals
(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Let’s get the obvious selection out of the way first.
Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals with the first overall selection makes too much sense. Almost to the point that if you pitched this as a movie, studio executives might call it a bit “over the top.” A hometown kid comes back to Ohio to resurrect a franchise that badly needs saving. Along the way he helps raise money for a downtrodden area of Ohio while collecting his Heisman Trophy.
But the “Rise of Burrow” is real, and why he fits with the Bengals is a reason why.
While anticipation throws over the middle were something Burrow was showing a year ago, this past season he demonstrated three things critical to his NFL fit: Pocket presence, ball placement and processing speed. This season, Burrow showed that he could handle pockets breaking down around him while still extending plays, he could deliver on almost every throw with tremendous ball placement, and he attacked defenses as well with his mind as he did his physical traits.
In addition, under Joe Brady the LSU passing game evolved as well. During Burrow’s 2018 campaign, the Tigers relied on a heavy amount of maximum protection concepts in the passing game. The numbers were pointed out by Neil Hornsby from Pro Football Focus:
Interesting piece on Joe Burrow in @peter_king 's FMIA today. It mentioned the way LSU had reduced the # of pass protectors this year. While I knew something of this I'd never run the numbers so I did… Pretty stark. pic.twitter.com/gE2M3OSqMt
On an overwhelming majority of LSU’s passing plays in 2019, Burrow was in effect the sixth man in protection.
Aside from quarterback, offensive line is a critical piece the Bengals need to upgrade in 2020. Even if Jonah Williams lives up to expectations at left tackle and Trey Hopkins shows he was worth his recent contract extension, there are still holes that need patching. With the OL a question mark, a quarterback with a proven track record of pocket management, quick decision-making and the ability to handle things when protection breaks down – or he is the sixth man in the protection scheme – makes a great deal of sense.
Finally, consider Zac Taylor’s system. Given his background with Sean McVay, the Bengals implement a lot of quicker passing concepts that attack the defense and create space. Spacing concepts, West Coast concepts, all designs that will be very familiar to Burrow given what LSU was running last season. Mix in some A.J. Green over the top, and now you’re cooking with gas as an offense.
The outlet had this to say about the pick: “ESPN reported he was unimpressive in combine interviews, but his arm could still get him in Round 1.”
Unimpressive in combine interviews isn’t exactly what you want to hear as a Vikings fan, but it’s also not a deal breaker, and if that hurts his stock and has nothing to do with his on-field performance, then maybe it could actually work in the Vikings’ favor.
There could be a lot of quarterbacks taken in the NFL Draft before Minnesota gets a chance to pick. If that’s the case, and the team still wants a quarterback, then it might be beneficial for a talent like Eason to fall a bit, so that the Vikings could take him.
