Former Ohio State Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer would happen to know a thing or two about Dwayne Haskins and probable Cincinnati Bengals pick Joe Burrow.
Interestingly, Meyer sat down in an interview recently and fielded a question on both guys.
When asked why he picked Haskins over Burrow to start at Ohio State, Meyer offered the following to NFL Media (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk):
“Joe was a little behind. You know why? Joe was also Mr. Ohio in basketball and they had a great team in the state championships, and he’s just one of those all-purpose tough guy leaders. Joe Burrow is a no brainer. Absolute no brainer. Can he throw as accurately as Dwayne? He’s improved, but he wasn’t that way. But his leadership skills, his toughness, competitive — you talk about a competitive maniac, that’s who Joe Burrow is.”
This doesn’t read as Meyer saying he’d take Haskins over Burrow today by any means. Haskins, the 15th pick last year, fell to a dysfunctional Washington team that fired Jay Gruden in the middle of the season and was skittish on letting him get in games. He completed 58.6 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and interceptions.
In other words, the jury is still very much out on Haskins. This does more to explain why Burrow left Columbus and is — in the minds of a few — a “one-hit wonder” thanks to his performance last season.
Burrow, hitting a peak at the right time, took an unorthodox route to the top. He’s clearly a dynamite pick now and given the circumstances, that odd route doesn’t do him any harm in the draft-stock department.
Or as Meyer just put it, he’s an absolute no brainer.
