Redskins Draft Dwayne Haskins in Round 1
April 25, 2019
by Steve Thomas
The Redskins drafted Ohio St. quarterback Dwayne Haskins with pick 15 in round 1 of the 2019 draft. Haskins, 6’3” and 220 pounds, becomes the first quarterback drafted by the Redskins in round 1 since the infamous Robert Griffin III trade in 2012, and just the third Ohio St. player drafted by Washington since 1990 (Tim Mosley, guard, round 9, 1990; Evan Spencer, wide receiver, round 6, 2015). Whether he starts immediately is an open question given the presence of new acquisition Case Keenum on the roster, but there is no doubt that the Redskins brought their future into the building tonight.
Haskins, a native of Highland Park, New Jersey, went to high school in Potomac, Maryland, before agreeing to play for Urban Meyer at Ohio St. He redshirted his freshman year in 2016, then went on to play 22 games over the next 2 seasons, completing 413 of 590 passes for 5,396 yards, 70.0% completion percentage, 54 touchdowns, and just 9 interceptions. Haskins backed up J.T. Barrett in 2017, then assumed the starting role this past season, completing 373 of 533 passes for 4,831 yards, 70.0% completion percentage, 50 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, and was named as a Heisman Trophy finalist and Third Team AP All-American. He ran the 40 yard dash in 5.04 seconds and jumped 28.5 inches in the vertical leap at the NFL Combine.
Haskins is known as a classic NFL-style pocket passing quarterback with a huge arm, a very high football IQ, and ability to quickly and effectively diagnose the defense pre-snap then progress through his reads during the play. Haskins was the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft, has an elite-level NFL arm, and his transition to the NFL game should be a short one by rookie quarterback standards. He should fit in well with Jay Gruden’s west coast offense-based system.
The Redskins now need to draft more weapons for their depleted receiving corps in the remaining 6 rounds to assist Haskins. Stay tuned to The Hog Sty for much more on Dwayne Haskins and Washington’s other draft choices.