Jacob Eason NFL draft profile and fantasy projection

Jacob Eason is what every old-school NFL scout is looking for in a quarterback. At 6’6”, 231 pounds, Eason is your classic drop back, stay in the pocket, pro-style passer with a strong arm. He was highly recruited out of high school and landed in Georgia, but lost out to Jake Fromm after a knee injury and returned home to the Seattle area to play for the Huskies. He finally got his chance to start last season and completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards and 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Scouting Report

Eason is that quarterback who you know can make all the throws but you aren’t sure if he’ll make the right throw at the right time. The good news is that he’s shown the ability to escape pressure and make strong throws while also rushing his throws under pressure. With his arm talent, he can make up for bad decisions at times, but his receivers also weren’t up to the task, with multiple drops.

Eason’s ability shines in a clean pocket but his consistency from week to week is all over the place. He’ll win over coaches with NFL caliber throws and then lose them with a poor decision under duress. He has the physical traits to do more outside the pocket than he does and has flashes of plays under pressure that you want to see, but consistency is still troubling. His range of outcomes is from Brock Osweiler to Carson Palmer. If teams think they can coach him up, they will take an early pick on him due to his upside.

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. 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. — Jordan Reid, The Draft Network

Mock Draft Results

Mel Kiper, ESPN: Did have Eason to Patriots in 1st round, but moved him out
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Not in mock
Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports: Not in mock
Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire: Not in mock

Fantasy impact: Rookie year

Eason is likely going to go higher in the draft than he should due to his upside, but he’ll have trouble finding a starting gig his rookie year unless injuries push him into the role. Once there, he will undoubtedly have trouble early on, making him a tough fantasy pick.

Fantasy impact: Career

Eason has the upside to be taken in dynasty league rookie drafts, but unless you can start two quarterbacks, he’s more of a flier than anything. If you can start two, Eason is a lottery ticket on your bench, but shouldn’t be relied upon in your longterm goals.