2020 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jacob Eason





  • Jacob Eason, 6-6/227

  • Quarterback

  • Washington


  • Jacob Eason Scouting Report
    By Charlie Campbell

    Strengths:
  • Cannon for an arm
  • Can make all the throws
  • Can fire fastballs into tight windows
  • Accurate passer in the short to intermediate part of the field
  • Dangerous to push the ball downfield
  • Good size
  • Tough to tackle
  • Stands tall in the pocket
  • Was in a pro-style offense for two years under Jim Chaney




  • Weaknesses:
  • Raw
  • Inconsistent
  • Lacks instincts as a passer
  • Struggles to process post-snap
  • Holds the ball too long
  • Needs to get faster at working through progressions
  • Must get quicker at working through the process
  • Not mobile; not athletic
  • Not as mobile as he thinks he is
  • Needs to put more touch on his passes
  • Should throw a softer, more catchable ball
  • Drifts backward in the pocket rather than climb the pocket
  • Summary: Eason was a top recruit who landed at Georgia out of high school. With the Bulldogs, he got good experience working in an offense under a respected coordinator with Jim Chaney that correlates more to the NFL than the vast majority of college offenses being used. In his freshman season as the starter, Eason completed 55 percent of his passes in 2016 for 2,430 yards with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He injured in the 2017 season opener for Georgia, and Jake Fromm took over as and remained as the starter for the rest of the season. The Bulldogs didn’t want to change their winning formula once Eason was healthy, keeping Eason as the backup. After the 2017 season, Eason transferred to Washington causing him to sit out the 2018 season.

    In 2019, Eason completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had an inconsistent season, flashing some brilliance at times and below-average play at other times. Eason should have returned for his senior year, but he entered the 2020 NFL Draft.

    There is no doubt that Eason has special arm talent, as he possess a right arm cannon capable of making all the throws necessary in the NFL. He can fire fastballs into tight windows and beat good coverage with his ability to rifle the ball past defenders. Eason demonstrates pocket presence and is willing to stand in the pocket in the face of the rush. He stretches defenses vertically and is dangerous to push the ball deep downfield. Eason is accurate in the short to intermediate part of the field and throws some beautiful deep balls.

    There are lot of areas for improvement for Eason at the NFL level. He is raw and inconsistent, thus he is a developmental prospect and not a candidate to start right away. Team sources say Eason struggles to process post-snap, which appears in a variety of ways. He holds the ball too long as a result and must get faster at working through progressions. He also has to get faster in the process of reading defenses, seeing his receivers, and getting the ball out. Those are the big issues for Eason, and if he doesn’t fix them, he’s going to struggle at the pro level.

    Eason has some other technical issues that are common with big-armed quarterbacks. There are too many throws on which Eason fires fastballs when he needs to put more air underneath the ball with touch passes that are easier for his receivers to catch. Eason should work on throwing a softer and more catchable ball to avoid drops and missed opportunities. While Eason is willing to use his feet, he is not as mobile as he thinks he is, which allows defenders to consistently chase him down. That issue will only be exacerbated in the NFL due to the faster defenders. Additionally, Eason has a tendency to drift backward because of his arm strength when he needs to climb the pocket. Doing that makes his offensive tackles job more difficult because they can’t funnel rushers around the pocket to protect him.

    Eason has the arm, size, and pocket presence to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. However, if he doesn’t develop and improve, he could be limited to being a backup. Teams are projecting Eason to be selected on the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft, but his stock is very fluid.



    Player Comparison: Joe Flacco/Zach Mettenberger. When Eason played well, he reminded me of Flacco. When Eason was playing poorly, he reminded me of Mettenberger. Eason could end up being something between them as a pro.






    RELATED LINKS:


    2020 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


    2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


    2020 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








    NFL Picks - Dec. 26


    2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 25


    NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 23


    2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29


    Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4