Indianapolis Colts: Jacob Eason an ideal pickup in 2020 draft

Jacob Eason was the ideal pickup in the 2020 NFL Draft for the Indianapolis Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts traded away their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft for veteran defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, but even without a first-round pick, they came away with one of the most impressive draft hauls in 2020.

The Colts selected a couple of guys who had been considered first-round prospects at one point or another in the pre-draft process, including USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor, their top two picks in the class.

Another player who was at one point or another projected to go a lot higher than he ended up going?

Washington quarterback Jacob Eason.

Colts get tremendous value in Eason

The Colts signed veteran Philip Rivers from the Chargers in the 2020 offseason, but only to a one-year deal.

They have also surprisingly held onto last year’s starter Jacoby Brissett, but do either Rivers or Brissett have a long-term future with the team?

Eason started off his collegiate career at Georgia but migrated back out to the state of Washington where he was once one of the best prep players in the state.

After getting some early playing time at Georgia, Eason was replaced by Jake Fromm, a fellow 2020 NFL Draft classmate, and he decided to go for an opportunity at immediate playing time.

That move paid off as Eason threw for over 3,000 yards and completed over 64 percent of his passes this past season, but with Chris Petersen stepping down as Washington’s head coach, Eason also decided to start afresh with an NFL team as opposed to spending another year in college.

Although many projected him as a top 50 pick based on his size, arm talent, and confidence on downfield throws, Eason’s lack of experience and overall consistency was counted against him more than he or really anyone else thought.

The Colts have a head coach in Frank Reich who has done a tremendous job developing quarterbacks in the NFL, and developing a system for them to have success right away.

With a year to learn behind both Rivers and Brissett, Eason should be poised to compete for the Colts’ starting position in year two, making him the ideal value pick for the Colts in the 2020 NFL Draft.