The Tennessee Titans have question marks surrounding the quarterback position with the practically guaranteed departure of backup Marcus Mariota and the uncertainty surrounding whether or not Ryan Tannehill will return.
If Tannehill isn’t back in Nashville for the 2020 season, the team will look to free agency and the draft to find his replacement.
And if he is the Titans’ starter in the upcoming season, Tennessee will need to put someone it can be comfortable with behind him.
Former Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason, who has been connected to the Titans in mock drafts, could come into play.
Here’s a complete breakdown of the signal-caller.
Pros
Eason is a solid choice for teams looking for a promising quarterback of the future in the first or second round, and certainly has the size at 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds.
The transfer from Georgia completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards with 23 touchdowns and low total of eight interceptions last year — so it’s clear he’s careful with the football and makes good decisions for the most part.
His arm strength is a huge plus, and he’s shown the ability to confidently place the ball where it needs to be even if his receiver isn’t wide-open right then.
Cons
The Husky has a big arm, but that has sometimes come at the cost of what he’s doing with his lower body.
His footwork isn’t always the best, and he could afford to work through his progressions at a faster pace.
Eason is athletic enough, but he’s not going to greatly threaten opposing defenses with his ability to extend plays.
Biggest Strength: Arm talent
Eason is very effective in the short and intermediate passing game, but has the juice to put it way downfield.
He has good feel for throwing the ball deep, and can put the ball where his receiver is supposed to be before his target actually gets there — something that’s been a thing of beauty to watch come together during his college career.
Biggest Weakness: Crumbling under pressure
Arm strength can only do so much for a quarterback if he can’t maintain accuracy when the pocket starts to collapse.
While Eason kept his interceptions limited, he has shown a tendency to be forced into some bad decisions under pressure. That raises a red flag for teams who may be interested in him.
Eason’s taken sacks in situations where could have gotten rid of the football — something to work on at the next level.
Bottom Line
Whichever team drafts Eason will understand that he can’t live in chaos — and that really, he can barely handle it at all — but what they will be getting is a quarterback who can quickly march the offense down the field and has success on play-action, the same thing Tannehill was commended for last season.
Eason has a lot of potential and is beginning to tap into what he can be after two years as a starter, but there’s plenty of development that needs to take place.
