Dwayne Haskins was drafted 15th overall by the Washington Redskins in hopes of developing into a franchise quarterback. But will he be the starter this season?
With Redskins training camp around the corner, the hype for the 2019 NFL season is growing. And with it, one of the biggest questions of the team’s offseason will soon be answered.
Who is the starting quarterback going to be?
When Alex Smith went down last season with a gruesome injury that almost cost him his leg, it became clear that the Redskins needed some reinforcements at quarterback. They now have three quarterbacks in the room, excluding Smith, that could have a legitimate case to be the starter this year. And one of them is Dwayne Haskins.
Haskins, a rookie, was drafted by the Redskins in hopes of being the quarterback of the future. The Ohio State product is coming off a great collegiate season and he will be looking to prove himself early in his NFL career. And his first chance to do that will come at 2019 Redskins training camp.
Here’s an in-depth look at what Haskins could offer the ‘Skins this year and what he will need to prove in order to have a crack at the starting job right away.
Haskins’ 2018 season
Haskins was only the starter at Ohio State for one season. But in that action, he was stellar and completely rewrote the Buckeyes’ record book.
As a redshirt sophomore, Haskins threw for a ridiculous 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions while completing 70 percent of his passes. He was one of the most dynamic passers in the entire country and frequently made highlight plays on deep passes to his receiving weapons.
Haskins flashed a very strong arm during the season and the potential to be a franchise quarterback during his college career. He also proved to be a winner, as the Buckeyes ended up winning the Rose Bowl under his watch. Though they couldn’t make the College Football Playoff, Haskins did enough to emerge as a top prospect and he declared for the draft.
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During the lead-up to the 2019 NFL Draft, Haskins was considered a sure-fire first-round pick. He did well in the NFL Combine and many expected that he would have a chance to be the first quarterback off the board. And for a time, few expected him to make it past the New York Giants with the No. 6 pick.
However, as draft day drew nearer, some focused more on Haskins’ potential warts as the event drew nearer. This caused him to slip a bit on draft day and he ended up going behind both Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones.
The Redskins were lucky to land him with the 15th pick, and he is clearly their quarterback of the future. But is he the quarterback of the present? That’s the big question he has to answer at training camp.
What Haskins must show at training camp
There are a few areas in which Haskins will have to show growth during his first NFL training camp.
First and foremost, Haskins needs to improve his ball placement, as the ball was ever so slightly in the wrong place on a good chunk of his passes, much like Jameis Winston at Florida State. His receivers made up for that in the Big 10, but that could be more of an issue in the NFL. If he can do that, his overall accuracy would certainly benefit.
Additionally, Haskins’ mobility is a concern, so he will have to show a penchant for making positive decisions in the pocket while also showing at least an ability to escape. He will be more of a pocket passer, but if he can show intelligence and an ability to climb the pocket, that will help his chances of emerging as the starter as well.
Haskins’ accuracy has also declined when on the move — something that happens with many quarterbacks in the NFL — but if he can improve that, it would be a good start to earning the confidence of his coaching staff and offensive coordinator. And it could open up some more options for potential rollouts in certain packages (though they likely would only use that as a wrinkle in the offense).
It would certainly help Haskins to showcase his downfield passing ability as well. Haskins possesses a very good arm, and his downfield throwing ability has the potential to be a strength. Again, his ball placement will be important in this area, but if he can get the ball downfield with ease and drop it into the breadbasket of his receivers, that could give him a leg up in the competition.
Skills-wise, these are all doable. But the biggest thing that Haskins will have to show is that he is ready for the NFL level. He is facing some stiff competition at the quarterback position against two veteran passing options. So, if he doesn’t look comfortable in training camp, that could force him to be the backup at least to begin his NFL career.
Haskins’ main competition
As mentioned earlier, Haskins is going to face a lot of competition for the starting job, so he may not be the team’s top option in Week 1.
This offseason, the Redskins went out and acquired Case Keenum for a swap of late-round picks. The move was a smart one, as Keenum is a serviceable starter and has proven that he can take a team to the playoffs. That’s unlikely to happen in Washington given their lack of receiving weapons, but Keenum would give the team a chance to stay respectable in 2019.
Colt McCoy is also on the roster for the sixth year in a row. While McCoy has only started six games for the Redskins, he is still one of the better backup quarterbacks in the game. He almost helped the team dispatch the Houston Texans after replacing an injured Alex Smith and kept the team competitive in a Thanksgiving game against the Dallas Cowboys.
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McCoy takes risks, but he knows the system better than any quarterback on the roster. So, he will push Haskins and Keenum with that aspect of his game. And if Jay Gruden wants to go with an experienced option, McCoy would be the choice, provided that he is fully recovered from the leg injury that sidelined him at the end of last season.
Still, it seems more likely that if any non-Haskins QB opens the season as the starter, it would be Keenum. Keenum is just two years removed from playing in the NFC Championship Game, so he has playoff experience. If Haskins isn’t ready, Keenum would probably give the team the best chance to win games.
That said, there’s just as good a chance that Haskins could be ready to start. And if he looks prepared in training camp and the preseason, he may be thrown into the fire in Week 1. It’s not a guarantee, but Haskins is the quarterback of the future. The minute they think he’s ready to play, they will throw him in to get reps.
Even if Haskins doesn’t start Week 1, there’s a strong chance that he will start at some point in the season. The only way that he wouldn’t see the field is if one of the veterans starts the season and turns the team into a playoff contender. And that seems unlikely.
2019 outlook for Haskins
Haskins’ outlook beyond 2019 is certainly bright. He is going to have a chance to prove himself as an NFL starter at some point. The question is just about whether or not it will be this season.
It’s hard to exactly say what Haskins’ outlook for 2019 is. If he enters the season as the starter, it will be crucial for him to show off his skill set in a quarterback-driven league where the leash on starters can tend to be short. If he starts and struggles off the bat, he may find himself alternating between a starting and bench role during the season. Conversely, if he succeeds, he will put a stranglehold on the Redskins’ quarterback job for years to come.
If Haskins sits to start the year, or even throughout it, the goal will be to develop as much as he can. He will have a chance to sit and learn much like Patrick Mahomes did in his first season with the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s not to say that Haskins will be as good as the current NFL MVP, but there’s a chance that he could improve without starting. And if that happens, that could be good news, as the Redskins could upgrade the supporting cast around him before he hits the field.
Either way, Haskins has to prove himself and develop in his first season. There is some inherent pressure that comes with being the 15th overall pick, and he’ll only get one chance to make a first impression.
We shouldn’t overreact to Haskins’ performance no matter what happens, but he is truly one of the biggest wild cards for the team this season. If he gets on the field early and succeeds, that could really help the team. But everything starts for him in training camp, where the fans and front office will get a close look at him as his rookie season draws nearer and nearer.