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Dwayne Haskins wasn't exactly pleased when he fell to the middle of the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In fact, the former Ohio State quarterback was so frustrated by his draft-night slide that he's intent on using it as motivation to prove the many teams that passed on drafting him wrong.
ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, though, believes falling to the Washington Redskins at No. 15 gives Haskins a golden opportunity to reach his long-term potential by first learning the NFL ropes as a backup.
Article Continues Below“I think Dwayne Haskins is in a situation — being picked at 15, the locker room that he's in, the quarterback room that he's in — he'll have an opportunity to grow,” he said, per 247 Sports' Jordan Dajani. “He doesn't have to start on day one, won't have that type of pressure and I believe from a skillset, he is the guy who is most pro-ready to fit right in to doing what you're asking NFL quarterbacks to do today.”
The Redskins acquired veteran quarterback Case Keenum and a seventh-round pick from the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round selection in March. Though Keenum last season hardly lived up to the two-year, $36 million contract he signed with Denver following a breakout campaign with the Minnesota Vikings in 2017, he's nevertheless a viable option under center for Washington as incumbent starter Alex Smith works to overcome a devastating leg injury that cut his debut season with the team short and is likely to sideline him for the duration of 2019.
Though coach Jay Gruden before the draft allowed for the possibility of a rookie quarterback earning his team's starting job, it's safe to say Haskins enters offseason activities fighting for second-string duties behind Keenum with veteran backup Colt McCoy.
