Redskins who could make fireworks during the 2020 NFL season
3. QB Dwayne Haskins
A former first-round pick. A strong arm. A reshaped body. A new system. Things are going to be a lot different for Dwayne Haskins compared to his rookie season.
In 2019, Haskins largely struggled when he saw the field. But that wasn’t a surprise. The team viewed him as more of a project and were hoping to have him sit for a year before getting on the field. Amid the team’s issues, that couldn’t happen. And as a result, Haskins underwent some growing pains, completing just 58.6 percent of his passes and throwing equal touchdowns and interceptions (7 each).
That said, Haskins started to greatly improve throughout his last few starts. He was still a rookie, but the growth he was showing confirmed there was still upside as he continued to develop at the NFL level. And with the changes he’s made to his body this offseason, he should have a chance to be stronger in 2020 with a year of experience under his belt. It also helps that he’s not subject to the tutelage of a lame-duck coaching staff and the interim staff that took over after Jay Gruden’s firing.
Related Story. Dwayne Haskins receives strong praise from Ron Rivera. light
Haskins made the cut on the fireworks list ahead of his rookie season. And what I said about him at that time still largely rings true.
"If Haskins does see the field, he will have a chance to use his strong arm to make some pretty downfield plays. He is still working on his overall accuracy and ball placement, but as was evident at Ohio State, he can certainly make plays. Haskins will have a chance to give the ‘Skins some real excitement at quarterback, something that they’ve lacked since the either Robert Griffin III days. Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith were both solid starters, but neither possessed the type of electric downfield potential that Haskins has. Of course, he will first have to live up to his first-round billing to convert that, but he certainly will have a chance to spark the team and produce some fireworks when he’s on the field in 2019."
While the sparks weren’t as prominent as many were hoping in 2019, there’s a good chance they’ll be there in 2020. He has the arm talent needed to make big plays. If he grows and can add a vertical element to this Redskins offense, the team should be in much better long-term shape at quarterback than they were just a season ago.