Sometimes, the winner of the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award is an improbable one. Washington's Dwayne Haskins isn't that. Though he slipped to Dan Snyder's lap at No. 15 overall and was the third quarterback selected in the most recent draft, the Ohio State product is one of the front-runners to win the award.
Haskins will compete with Kyler Murray, Josh Jacobs, and others to win the award. Though his competition has logical reasons to take home the trophy, so does he. Here are five reasons why Haskins will do just that.
5. Football IQ
Arguably Haskins' best skill-set is the way he reads and processes the field in a jiffy. Often Ohio State quarterbacks are labeled as strong-armed or quick with their feet, but it's rare to find one as cerebral as Haskins. From his tape to interviews, the shot-caller received rave reviews for his understanding of the game and ability to quickly read defenses and spacing.
Haskins' cerebral play should translate immediately to the NFL. Though he may have trouble acclimating to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses, Haskins' football IQ will likely lead to well-thought throws and quick-reads. His understanding of angles, spacing, zone coverage, and leverage is simply uncanny for a rookie quarterback.
4. Accuracy, arm talent, and anticipation
Haskins isn't just a cerebral quarterback. Though his arm talent is not that of fellow rookie Kyler Murray, he has an excellent arm and can seemingly place the ball wherever he needs to. He's not going to shot-put a ball 70 yards in the air like Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but he can make the tougher throws on a consistent basis.
Whether Haskins needs to deliver a deep corner route or out-throw a roaming safety; the QB has the arm strength to put throw the ball on a wire, in turn, getting it to his receivers in a timely matter. But, maybe more important than his strength, is his accuracy, and anticipation. He has an uber-quick release. Couple that with his cerebral play, and you get his high 77.1% adjusted completion rate, per Pro Football Focus.
3. Jay Gruden's offense
Gruden, like his brother Jon, stems from a west-coast coaching tree. This should bode well for both Haskins and the offensive-minded head coach. Though Ohio State didn't employ a west-coast scheme for most of their plays, Haskins thrived when they utilized concepts from it; short, horizontal routes, shotgun plays, and crossers.
West-coast coaches often look for a particular quarterback to run their efficient, high-profile offenses. Far too often we've seen strong-armed, one-read shot-callers fail in this scheme. Luckily, Haskins isn't that, as his cerebral play, accuracy, and anticipation are simply ideal to run an offense that predicates on quarterbacks that can quickly scan a field.
2. The team around him
Washington isn't an offensive juggernaut, we know that. But, they do have an offense that can not only keep a young quarterback upright but also supplement him with weapons and a run game. However, for Dwayne Haskins, a true pocket shot-caller, the former may be more important than both the latter's. He will need an offensive line that can buy him time, and Washington provides just that.
The trio of Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff, and Morgan Moses is a Pro-Bowl caliber grouping of offensive line talent. Though the three have failed to stay healthy together in recent memory, if they can stay on the field, they are a core of top-ten o-line play. Washington also has an abundance of solid skill position players.
Running backs Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice, Chris Thompson, and Bryce Love will solidify a dynamic run-game for Haskins to rely on. As for wide receivers, Washington has a galore of speed that is highlighted by Paul Richardson and Terry McLaurin — one of Haskins' favorite targets at Ohio State.
1. “The league done messed up”
Haskins wasn't happy that he fell to No. 15 overall after being lauded as a top-ten talent. The result; an iconic quote that proved he has a massive chip on his shoulder. On draft night, he noted, that because he fell so far, that:
‘The league done messed up.”
We've seen brazen attitude from falling quarterbacks in the past. Last year, Josh Rosen brought the same mentality into the league. Though it didn't work for the former Cardinal in his first season, Dwayne Haskins, like he's done through his entire football career, has carried a chip on his shoulder. He's motivated, and he wants to win to prove 14 teams wrong. That's a scary sight for the rest of the NFC East.
Follow Us
Subscribe