Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
It’s technically not certain that Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins is even entering the NFL draft. But after surpassing the 50-touchdown mark for the season in a Rose Bowl win over Washington, the general consensus seems to be that the 6’3″, 220-pound signal-caller will go pro.
It’s not that all hard to figure out why, either. The moment that Oregon’s Justin Herbert decided to return to Eugene, Haskins, who re-wrote the single-season record books in Columbus with 4,831 passing yards and those 50 touchdowns in 2018, became the No. 1 quarterback prospect on the overwhelming majority of draft boards.
Haskins will go early, no doubt. The only question at this point is how early.
Best Fit: New York Giants
Over the days, weeks and months to come, you’re going to see Dwayne Haskins and the Giants linked about 37 bajillion times.
There’s good reason for that: Haskins and the Giants make a ton of sense as a match.
Big Blue needs a successor to Eli Manning under center. But Manning’s presence would also mean Haskins, who has just one year of college starts under his belt, wouldn’t have to be thrown to the wolves from Day 1.
The Giants have an offensive-minded head coach in Pat Shurmur and superstar skill-position weapons in Odell Beckham and Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr. And in the Big Apple, Haskins could become a superstar in his own right.
Of course, playing there also means big-time pressure. So does following a two-time Super Bowl MVP.
And the No. 6 overall pick may not be enough to get Haskins.
Worst Fit: Washington Redskins
Might as well stay in the NFC East.
The Washington Redskins didn’t expect to be in the market for a starting quarterback in 2019. But with Alex Smith facing an uncertain future after a gruesome leg injury, Washington is suddenly thrust into a position where the team’s 2019 starter is a huge question mark.
In addition to needing immediate help at quarterback, the team has a so-so (at best) cadre of pass-catchers, a head coach in Jay Gruden who is on the thinnest of ice and a front office that’s rather messy.
Never mind the added pressure that a trade up would put on Haskins to ride in and immediately save the day.
