Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr.
Quarterback is the most important position in the NFL and it’s also the hardest position to find elite talent at. History is littered with high-profile quarterback draft busts. It’s also littered with players who got drafted late but became stars. The big names in the 2020 NFL Draft class are Joe Borrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert and Jordan Love. Those are the guys with the highest upside but there could be good prospects found in later rounds.
Jacob Eason out of Washington isn’t likely to get selected in the first round, but his arm talent will excite some teams. According to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, his NFL ceiling is Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
QB1: Joe Burrow / NFL Ceiling: Aaron Rodgers
QB2: Tua Tagovailoa / NFL Ceiling: Drew Brees
QB3: Justin Herbert / NFL Ceiling: Carson Wentz
QB4: Jordan Love / NFL Ceiling: Josh Allen
QB5: Jalen Hurts / NFL Ceiling: Dak Prescott
QB6: Jacob Eason / NFL Ceiling: Derek Carr
Carr has had a bumpy ride over the last few seasons, but he’s definitely a top-15 quarterback in the NFL. Eason is significantly bigger than Carr, but his big arm is reminiscent of the Raiders quarterback. However, Carr is the more athletic player and was more polished coming out of college.
Analyst Compared Eason to Another Raiders QB
While the Eason-Carr comparison is interesting, the former Washington star might be more like another former Raiders quarterback. According to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Eason has similarities to Carson Palmer:
His elite size and arm talent are reminiscent of Carson Palmer, but issues with pocket poise and getting through progressions cleanly are more reminiscent of Brock Osweiler. Eason is fun to watch when he’s ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured. He’s relatively inexperienced and should continue to develop from the pocket, but poise is hard to fix, and handling exotic blitz packages is not a given. He’s a pro-style, play-action-based quarterback with average starter potential and an average backup floor.
Palmer had a solid NFL career, but Osweiler was a huge disappointment. Eason will be a better pickup if he can be had in a later round due to the risk involved.
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Do Raiders Have Any Interest in Eason?
Eason’s massive arm will excite at least a few teams. He can make all the throws and he’s a massive human. However, the Raiders likely won’t be one of the teams taking a serious look at him. First of all, the team already has Derek Carr, so there’s no reason for them to draft a similar player. Plus, Jon Gruden has gone on the record that he’d like to see Carr make more plays with his feet. Eason isn’t about to be making many plays with his feet because he’s not very fast.
If the Raiders are going to add a quarterback, they’re going to go after one of the more athletic prospects like Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts. Also, Las Vegas doesn’t have a second-round pick and that’s where Eason is likely to get picked. It’s possible the Raiders do select a quarterback at some point, but it’s probably not going to be Eason.
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Intriguing QB Prospect Draws Comparison to Raiders’ Derek Carr