Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 227 lbs
School: Washington Huskies
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.89 seconds
Vertical jump: 27.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 2 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.50 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.75 seconds
Jacob Eason 2020 NFL Draft Profile
Coming out of high school, Jacob Eason was one of the most highly recruited prospects in the nation. He received offers from countless division one programs including Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, and Michigan. Eason ultimately declared for the University of Georgia in 2014. Shortly after his freshman season began, Eason was given the starting role. He showed plenty of potential, throwing for 2,430 yards, 16 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. Eason began his sophomore season as the starter but was replaced by Jake Fromm after sustaining a knee injury in the season opener.
Following his sophomore campaign, Eason announced his intent to transfer to the University of Washington. Due to the transfer, Eason was required to sit out the entire 2018 season. In Eason’s senior season he made tremendous strides in many facets of the game. He showed much greater consistency and played at a very high level against some of the toughest teams in the nation. He finished the season with 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions while posting career highs in yards, completion percentage, and passer rating. In December he announced he would forgo his final season of eligibility as he officially declared for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Strengths
- Has an absolute cannon for an arm which gives him the ability to make all throws;
- Great height and build for today’s NFL
- Very quick release especially on slant routes;
- Very natural as a pocket passer;
- Showed flashes of elite ball placement on certain routes;
- Can fit passes into even the tightest of windows;
- Excels in the play-action game;
- Possesses great poise and is willing to stand firm in the pocket even under extreme duress;
- Very rarely makes risky throws which show in his turnover numbers;
- Makes very intelligent pre-snap adjustments;
- Performed well against the top schools in the nation
Weaknesses
- Tends to panic when under pressure and overthrow his receivers;
- Has average athleticism, but will not be a real threat to run the ball;
- Needs to have lighter feet, especially in the pocket;
- Lacks consistency when throwing on the run;
- Occasionally will try to stay in the pocket instead of escape and extend plays;
- Needs to improve the speed in which he goes through his progressions;
- Has taken big hits and missed open check-downs waiting for his first read to get open
NFL Comparison: Derek Carr
Teams With Need at Position: Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: Late first/Early second
Bottom Line
Eason possesses the physical skills to succeed at the next level. His arm talent and ball placement on tight-window throws will make scouts very excited for his future. His lack of turnovers and poise show his intellect which will come in handy in the NFL. He definitely doesn’t lack the confidence it will take to succeed
With that being said, Eason does have plenty of room to improve. He will need to become more mobile and extend plays when the pocket collapses. While has shown flashes of greatness in many different areas, he will need to improve his overall consistency if he wants to succeed in the NFL.
Whether Eason can put everything together is going to be the real question. While he does have some flaws, this will not prevent a team from drafting him rather early in this year’s draft. He will need to end up in the right system if he wants to have a long and prosperous NFL career.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
