Colts select Washington QB Jacob Eason in 4th round of NFL draft
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts selected Washington quarterback Jacob Eason in the fourth round (No. 122 overall) of the NFL draft Saturday.
Eason was the sixth quarterback taken in the draft, behind Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.
Eason had to wait until the fourth round to be selected after being projected by some to go late in the first round of the draft.
"It was tough as a competitor," Eason said. "I had heard anything from late first to early second, then it got down to the early second and it got down to the third round. It was disheartening not seeing any quarterbacks being picked. But hey, I'm super fortunate to be picked up by a great organization in a great situation in Indianapolis."
Finding a quarterback of the future was something the Colts had to address at some point because Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett and Chad Kelly will all be free agents at the end of the 2020 season. Colts general manager Chris Ballard said during his pre-draft news conference, and reiterated again Friday night, that they were not going to force the issue in selecting a quarterback in the draft.
But having Eason still available in the fourth round was an opportunity the Colts couldn't pass up.
"The Colts were a team that I had more than a few great conversations with," Eason said. "I was hoping I would get a call from them. I talked to them more than any other team."
Eason will have the opportunity to sit and learn from Rivers, who is headed into his 17th season, in 2020. There is also the possibility that Eason could be the primary backup quarterback next season with Brissett's status with the team up the air after he struggled last season as Andrew Luck's replacement.
"This situation gives me a great opportunity to learn from one of the greats in the National Football League [in Rivers] and another tremendous quarterback in Jacoby Brissett," Eason said. "I think this is an outstanding opportunity for me to learn. I'm going to take it and run with it."
Eason, who transferred to Washington after spending his first two years at Georgia, threw for 3,332 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season with the Huskies.
"The two main focus points I've been working on the past couple of months has been my consistency, accuracy, completion percentage," Eason said. "It takes consistency week in and week out to win games. The other thing I've been working on is a general football IQ. Coverage, reads, concepts, protection."
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