Redskins QB Dwayne Haskins wants the weight on his shoulders

There’s one thing that makes Haskins different, however.

Haskins has the confidence. He has a good enough arm to make NFL throws. He has the quick-working, all-encompassing mind of a signal caller. He has the production. One glimpse at his resume, and one could assume he’s destined to turn D.C. to gold.

But players with all the traits have failed before. Robert Griffin III had the speed, playmaking ability, and the intangibles. Jason Campbell had the size and the arm. What makes Haskins different, is this.

Dwayne Haskins wants the weight on his shoulders.

For some quarterbacks, the weight of a lost city can be too much. On top of the clunky pads, the pasty sweat, and the warm stick of grime. But not for Haskins. For Haskins, it’s a counterweight. A city to save, balancing his desire to help. It’s the assignment he’s been waiting for. He told the Redskins to pick him. He wanted the challenge.

In a small moment on draft night, Haskins visualized this desire. When the Giants passed him over for Daniel Jones of Duke, with the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft. Haskins met the move with a shrug, and a smirk. He was ready to be the one in New York. Now, he’s the one they chose not to pick. And he’s ready to be the one choice they regret.

For now, the debate will rest on whether or not Haskins should start. But once he inevitably takes the field, the debate will evolve. Expectations will soar past their already astronomical heights, and people will etch Haskins’ name on the edge of the list. Juxtaposing this rookie with the monument to the franchise’s eternal sorrow. Waiting to put his name in stone, with the rest of them.

Whether Haskins can form his own legacy, however, is ultimately up to him. He wanted the weight of the world on his shoulders. And now, he has it.