The Washington Redskins emerged as a big winner from the 2019 NFL draft by securing Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins at No. 15.
Viewed as one of the top potential franchise passers in the class, Haskins gives the Redskins a short and long-term answer under center. The Redskins didn’t have to trade up to do it either, which then allowed them to trade back into the first round and select Montez Sweat.
With Haskins, the Redskins get huge upside and an interesting leader. Here are five things to know about the team’s new franchise passer.
Haskins is rare…in a few different ways
As a player, Haskins has a rare skill set that could let him become a franchise quarterback.
But his coming off the board in the first round is rare, too. He’s the first Big Ten quarterback taken in the first round since 1995 and only the third quarterback from Ohio State off the board in the opening round.
The other two Buckeyes in Round 1 happened in 1982 and 1941.
He’s local
Haskins spent his college days at Ohio State but actually has some interesting Washington ties.
Among those is a connection to team owner Dan Snyder:
Obviously, quite a bit more went into the team’s decision to draft Haskins.
But the connection here? It certainly doesn’t hurt.
Competitor
Haskins has already said every team that passed on him made a mistake, so it isn’t a secret he wants to compete at all times.
This included during a pro visit that just so happened to coincide with a local pro day:
Any thought about Haskins sitting and learning for a year can go right out the window.
Not only have Redskins coaches said they want their first-rounder to impact games right away, Haskins is going to spar with Case Keenum at all times.
He’s not a rusher
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith miscast Haskins as a running quarterback.
But Haskins wasn’t sweating the odd mishap too much — he instead used it as a chance to flip the narrative on its head.
“As a quarterback, I feel you have to be a distributor,” Haskins said, according to Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com. “I find ways to get the ball to everyone. Me in the pocket is more fun for me than to try to run for a touchdown or a first down. I like to see guys make plays.”
Haskins’ play was impressive regardless of whether he was doing some of it with his feet. Perhaps even more impressive is his response to the strange predraft controversy.
Historic
Haskins the person is clearly fun and a surefire leader.
The player is downright historic:
The thing with Haskins is simple: had he went back to school for another year, it is hard to imagine he wasn’t putting up at least similar numbers, barring an injury.
Meaning, he’d likely be a consensus No. 1 overall pick if he had two years of elite numbers. The Redskins got him at No. 15.
