Top 10 Quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft: No. 8 Jacob Eason

History

Jacob Eason is a paradox in the quarterback class of the 2020 NFL Draft. On paper, a quarterback with his record shouldn’t exist. With only one season to really judge his abilities, coming from a Washington Huskies program that finished 8-5. Yet, after reviewing his film, I am left wondering if I ranked him too low on this list.

Eason came out of high school coveted as a recruiting prospect out of Washington state. While in high school, Eason had thrown for an astounding 9,813 yards for 102 touchdowns to just 18 interceptions, according to the Washington Huskies website.

According to 247 Sports, Eason was the fifth highest-ranked prospect in 2016 and was only second to Shea Patterson in quarterback prospects that year. According to his recruiting profile, he received offers from Alabama, Florida and Colorado, to name just a few.

Known as a deep ball passer and quarterback who could go through receiver progressions, Eason became one of the hottest names in recruiting circles, eventually settling on Georgia as his destination of choice.

He started as a true freshman for Georgia in 2016 and played in every game for the Bulldogs, finishing 8-5. Heading into 2017, Eason was named the starting quarterback and was expected to lead the team to national glory.

The plan for 2017 was disrupted in the first game of the season when he sustained a leg injury against Appalachian State. In came Georgia’s newest quarterback recruit, Jake Fromm, who held onto the starting job even after Eason recovered. Fromm eventually led the Bulldogs to the 2018 National Championship Game.

With Fromm leading Georgia to the title game, it was rightly expected that Eason would now serve as the team’s backup, while Fromm would be the starter heading into the 2018 season.

Not ready to give up on his dreams, he transferred to the Washington Huskies but had to sit out of the 2018 season. NCAA rules forbid him from playing that year. Those transfer rules were put in place by the NCAA to eliminate a de-facto free-agency in an “amateur sport”, but this just feels cruel. Two seasons in the prime of his life wasted sitting on the bench.

The Huskies started Eason in 2019, and right away it was clear he could still sling the ball. The Washington native would finally show the world why he was recruited so thoroughly back in high school and prepare his resume for the 2020 NFL Draft.

The problem for Eason in the 2019 season wasn’t whether he could throw the ball or command the offense. The issue became the receiving help on the team.

In the 2019 season, The Huskies went 8-5 and had a disappointing season. During that time, he had only one receiver reach 800 receiving yards or more and no receiver was able to ring up more than six touchdowns. He had one running back reach 1,000 yards, which helped keep Washington’s offense interesting. But the Pac-12 improved in 2019 and Washington could never keep up in the improved conference.

Despite a disappointing 8-5 record in 2019, Eason was able to leave Washington on a high note, after defeating Washington State 31-13 in the Apple Cup. Eason posted solid numbers in the rivalry game.

For Eason’s final game with the Huskies, they leveled 19th-ranked Boise State, who had gone 12-2 in the regular season, 38-7 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Eason made several big plays for Washington in 2019 and showed he had the deep pass ability that NFL teams are looking for. But lacking a longer resume in college will hurt him when it comes to the 2020 NFL Draft.