Four Snohomish County natives eligible in upcoming NFL draft
Published 1:30 am Saturday, April 18, 2020
The NFL draft takes place virtually during the upcoming week, with the first round on Thursday, rounds 2 and 3 on Friday and rounds 3-7 on Saturday. Four Snohomish County natives are candidates to be selected. Here’s a capsule look at them:
Jacob Eason
High School: Lake Stevens
College: Washington
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 231 pounds
Profile: The former Gatorade National Football Player of the Year when he was in high school, Eason went from starting at Georgia as a freshman, to losing his position because of injury, to transferring back home to Washington, to having a solid junior season for the Huskies before declaring for the draft.
Draft projection: First or second round
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Jake Luton
High School: Marysville Pilchuck
College: Oregon State
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 224 pounds
Profile: The sixth-year senior’s college journey was a saga, including stops at Idaho, Ventura (California) Community College and Oregon State, as well as multiple injury-interrupted seasons. But he was finally healthy in 2019 and he put up huge numbers, turning himself into an NFL prospect.
Draft projection: Late rounds
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Mosese Fifita
High School: Glacier Peak
College: Air Force
Position: Defensive tackle
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 330 pounds
Profile: A stout presence on the Falcons’ defensive line, he had 45 tackles and a team-leading five sacks for an Air Force squad that finished 11-2. He was the only member of the defense to be named first-team All-Mountain West Conference. He was likely one of the last players not to make the cut for the NFL Scouting Combine.
Draft projection: Late rounds or undrafted free agent
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Austin Joyner
High School: Marysville Pilchuck
College: Washington
Position: Defensive back
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 200 pounds
Profile: Forced to retire from Washington in 2018 because of concussions, the speedster announced in January he was making himself available for the NFL draft. Perhaps as much as any player, Joyner’s stock was hurt by social-distancing measures as teams have been unable to check on Joyner’s health in person.
Draft projection: Late rounds or undrafted free agent
