In his first NFL mock draft of the year, Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr has former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins going to Washington with the 15th-overall pick in the 2019 draft.
While the Redskins recently traded for Case Keenum and are waiting for Alex Smith and Colt McCoy to recover from season-ending injuries, the effect of competition tends to produce results that coach Jay Gruden and his staff would welcome. Washington finished the year with a "quarterback-by-committee" approach, as both Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson started games for the Redskins under center.
Depending on the progression of newly acquired Keenum and how Smith and McCoy recover will determine the plan the Redskins take into this year's draft.
Although Orr has Haskins being taken at No. 15 by Washington, he notes that the 6-foot-3 pocket passer may ultimately be best served to "develop behind starter Case Keenum."
"A gift for Washington, who, depending on the long-term outlook of Alex Smith, needs someone to develop behind starter Case Keenum." Orr mentions this may be the "best chance of nabbing a franchise passer in the coming years."
In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Haskins, hailing from nearby Potomac and prepped at The Bullis School, appeared in 22 games, throwing for 5,408 yds and 54 touchdowns. Haskins enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign in 2018 when he broke the Big 10 Conference record for most passing yards in a season with 4,831 while also throwing for a record 50 touchdowns.
Haskins began the year with a 313-yard, five-touchdown performance in a 77-31 win over Oregon State in early September, but his best performance of his career came in late November against rival Michigan. He threw for a Big Ten single-game record of six touchdowns and totaled 396 yards through the air. Wrapping up his sophomore campaign in the scarlet and grey, Haskins led the Buckeyes to a 28-23 Rose Bowl victory over the Washington Huskies of the Pac 12. In that matchup, Haskins completed 64.7 percent of his passes and recorded three touchdowns and 263 yards through the air.
After a season during which he was a Heisman Trophy finalist, the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year and a third-team Associated Press All-America selection, Haskins elected to enter the 2019 NFL Draft.
According to his Draft Network Profile, Haskins is "willing and perfectly able of pulling trigger on spot throws to the sideline or breaking across the back of a zone defender. Game situations are no problem: successful two-minute offense, third and fourth downs. Ball gets to target in a hurry when he's working off a stationary platform and really able to put torque into the ball with confidence."
