2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Dwayne Haskins





  • Dwayne Haskins, 6-3/231

  • Quarterback

  • Ohio State


  • Dwayne Haskins Scouting Report
    By Charlie Campbell

    Strengths:
  • Powerful arm
  • Can throw a hard fastball into tight windows
  • Quality build
  • Can push the ball downfield
  • Throws a good deep ball
  • Able to loft in touch passes
  • Has stretches of good accuracy
  • Stands tall in the pocket
  • Moves his eyes
  • Comfortable and patient in the pocket
  • Shows good timing
  • Lots of upside




  • Weaknesses:
  • Raw
  • Lacks experience
  • Inconsistent decision-making
  • Has to get faster at working through progressions
  • Footwork needs improvement
  • Ball placement can be off
  • Not a dangerous running threat


  • Summary: With J.T. Barrett running out of eligibility at Ohio State, Haskins took over as the Buckeyes’ starting quarterback in 2018. In his one season as a starter, Haskins ripped the Big Ten, lighting up defenses and putting some huge point totals up on the scoreboard. On the year, Haskins completed 70 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards with 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He finished the season strong and decided to enter the 2019 NFL Draft.

    There is no doubt that Haskins has the skill set to be an NFL starting quarterback. He has a powerful arm that can rifle the ball into tight windows to beat good coverage. He has a serious fastball and can really spin the football. Along with throwing lasers, Haskins shows the ability to put air underneath the ball and throw touch passes. He is adept at throwing the deep ball and stretching the field vertically. Along with his good size, Haskins shows impressive pocket presence with patience and comfort despite the rush flowing around him. Haskins possesses the potential to be an accurate passer, but he could stand to improve the consistency of his ball placement.

    While there is no doubt that Haskins has special arm talent, there also is no debate that he is a raw quarterback who needs development. That is not surprising considering Haskins was only a 1-year starter in college. As a result of his rawness, there are stretches on tape during which everything is just a little bit off with him. His footwork can get thrown off, and his field vision can be slow. For the next level, Haskins is going to need to speed up the process. He has to get faster at working through his progressions and getting the ball out. His decision-making is not consistent, and he made some gambles with ball security that he could stand to improve. While Haskins has some mobility, he is not a dangerous running threat for the pros.

    The NFL is always desperate for franchise quarterbacks, and Haskins has the athletic skill set to be that kind of signal-caller. He has a big arm, accuracy, pocket presence, and size. Thus, Haskins looks like a high first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

    Considering that Haskins is raw and needs development, he is not an elite quarterback prospect like an Andrew Luck. For this analyst, I would grade Haskins behind some other recent first-rounders like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Carson Wentz, Pat Mahomes and Sam Darnold.



    Player Comparison: Joe Flacco. Haskins was not an easy player to compare, but he is similar to Flacco. Both are big-armed pocket passers who can push the ball downfield. They also can have stretches of inconsistency. Haskins may not have quite the cannon that Flacco has, but they are similarly styled quarterbacks with powerful arms. If Haskins develops well, he could be a quarterback comparable to Flacco.

    NFL Matches: Arizona, Oakland, New York Giants, Denver, Cincinnati, Miami, Washington, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles Chargers, New England

    The consensus around the league is that Arizona will take Kyler Murray and look to trade Josh Rosen, but perhaps they could shock everyone and take Haskins instead of Murray. Aside from the Cardinals, the next quarterback-needy team selecting in Round 1 is the New York Giants. They have an aging and declining Eli Manning, but passed on a potential franchise quarterback last year. They can’t continue doing that, but perhaps they decide to pass on quarterback again this year. Haskins could be their quarterback of the future.

    Sources with Oakland said the Raiders like Haskins, so he could be in play for them.

    Even though Denver traded for Joe Flacco, the Broncos are still considering taking a quarterback in the first round. Haskins’ powerful arm and pocket passing could intrigue John Elway.

    Cincinnati could decide to move on from Andy Dalton with its new head coach. Miami already moved on from Ryan Tannehill, and clearly Ryan Fitzpatrick is not a long-term starter. Thus, Haskins could go in the early teens to the Bengals or the Dolphins at pick No. 11 or No. 13 respectively.

    The Redskins could consider taking a quarterback in the first round because Case Keenum is just a veteran stopgap and Alex Smith may never play again. Even if Smith comes back, he is aging and limited, so Washington could select a quarterback on the opening night of the 2019 NFL Draft.

    The Steelers, Chargers and Patriots are all teams that could consider a quarterback as their aging signal-callers have a limited number of years left.






    RELATED LINKS:


    2019 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s


    2019 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings


    2019 NFL Draft Scouting Reports








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