Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 220 pounds
School: Ohio State Buckeyes
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.04 seconds
Vertical jump: 28.5 inches
Dwayne Haskins 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Dwayne Haskins had some rather sizable shoes to fill in 2018. After all, he took over starting quarterback duties at Ohio State from J.T. Barrett who established himself as one of the most prolific signal callers in Buckeye history. To say Haskins passed with flying colors is a stark understatement.
Prior to him taking the reins in Columbus, Haskins made a name for himself at Bullis School in Potomac, MD. It led to Rivals ranking him as the fifth-best pro-style quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class. He garnered scholarship offers from a multitude of big-time programs as a result with him ultimately giving his commitment to Urban Meyer a few weeks ahead of signing day.
Haskins sat out the 2016 season and saw minimal action as a redshirt freshman with Barrett the clear and obvious starter. But he burst onto the scene last season, morphing into one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in leading OSU to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl victory. Ultimately, he broke 28 school records and seven conference records. It included breaking future Hall of Famer Drew Brees‘ long-standing Big Ten mark for most touchdown passes in a single season.
Strengths
- makes incisive and accurate throws outside the numbers;
- exhibits a quick and effortless release;
- has the arm strength to connect with vertical receiving threats on deep balls;
- excels at leading his receiver in stride on crossing/underneath routes;
- able to float balls into tight windows;
- functional as a scrambler when the play breaks down;
- seems to have that “it” factor when it comes to showing up in big games;
- a proven winner and a fierce competitor.
Weaknesses
- has to improve in scanning the field and keying in on second and third reads;
- accuracy tends to drop off quite a bit when making on-the-move passes;
- deep ball accuracy can become erratic at times;
- far from the most mobile quarterback prospect;
- tends to be a bit too static in the pocket;
- the Purdue loss hints at the possibility he lets mistakes snowball;
- rarely took snaps directly behind center;
- obvious concerns regarding experience with just a single season as a starter.
NFL Comparison: Deshaun Watson
Teams With Need at Position: Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins
Projection: early to mid first round
Bottom Line
Haskins has just one season of starter reps. As a result, there isn’t that large of a sample size with which to evaluate him in comparison to many of the other quarterback prospects this year. But there’s no doubting he has the talent, demeanor, and physical characteristics to excel at the next level. Arm strength goes a long way in the NFL and Haskins has it in spades. He’s also capable of delivering the ball with accuracy all over the field. The key for him is getting on a team with upper-echelon offensive line talent. Because his mobility issues could become a problem against NFL-caliber speed on the defensive front. Overall, though, there’s a lot to like about Haskins and it’s a reason why he’s likely a day one selection once the draft comes along.
