INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 02: Quarterback Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State looks on during day three of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 2, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
With their future in doubt after Alex Smith’s serious leg injury a year ago, the Washington Redskins stayed at 15 and ended up with a potential franchise quarterback in Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins.
Dwayne Haskins is coming home.
There had been rumors that the Washington Redskins would try and trade up to grab Haskins, but they ended up landing their man by staying put at 15. Haskins, who some scouts think is a better prospect than top overall pick Kyler Murray, played high school football in Maryland and is now returning home to try and revive the Redskins’ franchise.
There is risk involved since Haskins was only a starter for the Buckeyes for one year, but that season was spectacular as he completed 70% of his passes for 4,831 yards with 50 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. Haskins’ stellar year helped him become the first Big Ten quarterback drafted in the first round since Kerry Collins, who was taken by the Carolina Panthers in 1995.
The Redskins did make a trade for Case Keenum earlier in the offseason, but Haskins is now clearly the long term plan for the franchise. Head coach Jay Gruden is known for his offensive acumen and should be able to bring the best out of Haskins, who has all the tools necessary to become a franchise guy but simply hasn’t gotten a ton of reps yet.
Washington also deserves tremendous credit for reading the draft room correctly and not giving up a ton of assets to move up in the draft to secure Haskins, who ended up falling right to them at 15. There had been rumors earlier in the week that owner Daniel Snyder had taken control of the draft room and could explore a trade as high as No. 3 to make sure they got Haskins, but showing patience helped the Redskins get their man and retain all of their assets.
After watching their division rivals, the Giants, reach for Daniel Jones at seven the Redskins ended up getting a potentially better quarterback right at 15. That’s a big win for Washington.