It’s a known fact that Dwayne Haskins has the physical makeup of an NFL quarterback. Furthermore, his college resume gave him a leg up in the draft. Now, following a benching against the Carolina Panthers, he’s become an NFL Draft bust. That alone is an attachment that no athlete ever wants on their name. Unfortunately for Haskins (and the Washington Football Team), he earned it and he joined a long list of players who have that on their resume for the rest of their life. Given the position that he plays, that makes it all more difficult to swallow. The position of quarterback is so highly idolized with expectations, especially if that quarterback was a first-round draft pick. Moreover, the number that was worn, ‘7’, has significant meaning in the nation’s capital under Joe Theisman and now has been damaged.
Dwayne Haskins Has to Be Among the League’s Biggest busts in NFL History
Busts in Time
The NFL’s history is littered with great quarterbacks who have risen to the challenge and won a Super Bowl for their city. There are also quarterbacks who, while not being legendary, performed well enough for their team to have success. Lastly, there is a crop that simply did not make it and only hindered opportunities to win games. The last category belongs to Haskins. No one wants to be part of that category.
So where does Haskins even rank among the worst to suit up on the field? That’s a debate in and of itself. In fact, several quarterbacks entered the league in a similar fashion to him. After great college careers, or even one season that culminated with success in a bowl game victory or defeat.
To say that Dwayne Haskins is among the biggest busts in NFL History is not a hot take. It’s a fact. For one, he had immaturity issues. Second, with the issues of the field, came the production, or lack thereof on the field. The first names that come to mind are JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf. Both of whom can create a debate about the greatest bust of all time. Haskins is not near them in any debate, but he bears mentioning.
Seen This Movie Before
Additionally, it bears mentioning that Washington has been down this road before when drafting a quarterback that ended up as a bust. Following the creation of the salary cap, the team spent a first-round pick on Heath Shuler, who is known now as a better politician than an NFL quarterback. Other names that bear mentioning are David Klingler and Andre Ware, both of whom provide cautionary tales about a quarterback with high statistics in college not translating to the professional environment.
Need we mention Tim Couch or Akili Smith? They set a standard, a standard of disappointment that has been part of their respective franchises. How about Cade McNown in Chicago as a part of their painful quarterback history? In other words, Haskins is among the ones that did not pan out. He’s not at the top, but he’s not at the bottom either. Wherever he is, it’s not a good ranking, but his play is what it is.
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