2019 NFL Draft Profile: Dwayne Haskins

Dwayne Haskins

#1 Quarterback by Football Addicts

Born: May 3rd, 1997 (21 years old)
Height: 6’3
Weight: 220 Lbs
Position: Quarterback
University: Ohio State

About Dwayne

    Ever since Dwayne was a child, he had dreams of being the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. 10 years later, he not only broke nearly every passing record you can for Ohio State, he also broke Big 10 records held by Drew Brees. Even though he was rated as a 4 star recruit coming out of The Bullis High School in Potomac, Maryland, Dwayne’s recruitment was what some would consider a low-key one. I remember watching a Bleacher Report video late one night about an Elite 11 camp saying how Haskins made a name for himself at the camp. At the time he was originally committed to the University of Maryland, but switched to Ohio State after gaining enough buzz throughout his process. In 2018, Haskins threw for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and a Big-10 Title. Haskins also lead his team to a 28-23 Rose Bowl victory over 9th ranked Washington. That put Dwayne nearly 1,000 more yards and 11 more touchdowns ahead of the 2nd place holders, even though he only played in 1 more game. He would evidently go on to become Big 10 Offensive Player of the Year and was one of the three finalist for the Heisman trophy. Dwayne Haskins would come in 3rd place in that voting, but looks to be the 1st quarterback on most NFL teams draft boards.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

Haskins has an NFL ready body type, and possesses a cannon of an arm. He shows his high football I.Q. on and off the field. He looks very calm in the pocket, and has a very effortless throwing motion when not pressured. You can see him go through his progressions during a handful of different game tape. Another big trait, though a pretty small sample size, is his ability to live up to big moments, and continue to fight for four quarters if needed. Off the field he stays focus, watches tape, and is a student of the game. His play style fits more NFL offenses than my #2 quarterback, Kyler Murray, which is why I had to give him the slight edge

Weaknesses

This is more of a con than a weakness, but only had 14 games as a starter in a pass friendly offense. He can let the deep ball get away from him at times, and can get dazed with pressure in his face. While he might be able to get out of the pocket, his feet are the reason why he won’t gain yards on the ground. In his tape he either isn’t reading the coverage correctly, or he just doesn’t show concern for linebackers dropping into coverage.

NFL Draft Projection/NFL Comp

NFL Draft Projection

If I were to go off of talent alone, I would say Haskins would be a Top 16 pick in the 1st round, but based off trends, he will selected in the Top 6 picks of the 1st round. There has been a lot of rumors saying the Giants want an edge rusher with their 6th pick, but I don’t see them passing on Haskins. A team like the Broncos or the Dolphins could try and trade up into that 6th spot for the former Buckeye, and that would still leave New York in a position for their edge rusher. Whether it’s the Giants snagging him at 6, or someone trading up to steal him away, I can’t see him falling outside the Top 6.

NFL Comparison

Watching Haskin’s film, you can see that he has the ability to really throw as far as you need him to, and he does it with ease. Even though it was a pass heavy offense, this past season showed that he has the ability to put up rare numbers. His combination of of arm strength, and willingness to throw the ball close to 40 times game resembles how Matthew Stafford plays now with the Lions. If he can go to a team that will cater to his lack of escapability, Haskins should become a good to very good starter in the NFL.