Dwayne Haskins isn’t perfect, but he can be Washington’s franchise QB

A quarterback doesn’t have to be perfect to be selected high in the NFL Draft. Washington No. 15 overall pick Dwayne Haskins falls into that “not perfect, but very good” tier of quarterbacks and checks a lot of boxes for what an NFL team wants in a prospect.

But opinions are all over the place on Haskins. Some people, like ESPN’s Louis Riddick and SB Nation’s Dan Kadar, think Haskins is the best quarterback in the draft. Others think Haskins might be the fourth quarterback off the board.

Haskins only started one year at Ohio State, but he made the most of it. He demolished passing records at the school, won a Rose Bowl, and finished as a Heisman finalist before declaring for the draft.

To get a better idea of why he’s a promising prospect, let’s run through some of Haskins’ strengths, as well as where his game can improve.

From a strictly numbers perspective, Haskins is as clean a prospect as they come. He had the fifth-highest adjusted yards per attempt mark in college football last year. He threw an incredible 50 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and diced up just about every opponent Ohio State faced with an FBS-leading 4,831 passing yards.

According to SB Nation’s own Bill Connelly, Haskins finished second in the class in passing success rate, passer rating, and adjusted net yards per attempt. He also led the draft class in completion percentage.

There isn’t really any debating Haskins’ success last season. He put up gaudy, efficient stats for one of the best passing offenses in the country. How he got those numbers wasn’t always difficult, though — Ohio State dominated on screens and short passing routes last season.

Still, Haskins boasts an overwhelmingly positive statistical profile. His tape is damn good as well.

A clean pocket is a big advantage for any quarterback, but Haskins has shown the ability to be accurate and quick with his decisions.

This play from Ohio State’s game against Nebraska is a good example. Although Haskins mishandles the snap, he regains control quickly. The offensive line blocks well and gives Haskins a chance to read the field.

Once he sees the linebacker (No. 7) step down toward the line of scrimmage, Haskins throws the ball right behind him to the receiver breaking to the middle of the field.

In a way, the fumbled snap helped open up the throwing window for him — but he was still able to quickly recognize where he needed to go with the football.

Haskins can throw a pretty deep ball as well when he has a clean pocket. Watch this throw from the Buckeyes’ game against TCU last season. The receiver has two defensive backs breathing down his neck and Haskins threw a dime for a big gain down the field.

Here’s one more example from the Rose Bowl against Washington. Haskins has time in the pocket, looks left to fool the defense, then comes back to the middle of the field with a laser for a touchdown.

Those are the types of plays that show Haskins can win the matchups he’s supposed to win at the next level. The best quarterbacks in the NFL consistently take advantage of clean pockets.

While Haskins is a dynamite passer when he has a clean pocket, his play under pressure can be a bit shaky at times.

Playing quarterback in the NFL means you’re going to face a lot of pressure. Haskins has some work to do there. He didn’t face much pressure when he was playing at Ohio State, so it’s a bit of an underdeveloped skill right now.

This play against Michigan State shows where Haskins needs to get better under pressure. The right tackle gets beaten by an inside move almost immediately. Instead of standing tall in the pocket, Haskins rushes through his process and throws and unbalanced pass.

The pass ends up sailing way out of bounds, missing a receiver who was wide open on the play.

It’s not all bad for Haskins when it comes to playing under duress, though, like you can see from this play against Purdue.

Purdue ends up rushing six defenders on the play, with one looping around the formation to get the hit on Haskins. He avoids the first defender that the running back picks up, shuffles up in the pocket, and delivers a strike while getting crushed by the blitzer. The ball hits his receiver in stride for a first down.

There’s something else working against him when it comes to dealing with pressure: Haskins isn’t the most athletic quarterback. His 5.04-second 40-yard dash puts him in the 12th percentile among quarterbacks.

That doesn’t mean he won’t be able to improve in the NFL, however. There are veteran quarterbacks in the NFL — like Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, and Matt Ryan — who have managed to play well under pressure despite lacking top-flight athleticism.

Even though there are some warts to his game, Haskins has the arm strength, accuracy, football IQ, and size that NFL teams love in their quarterback prospects.

Outside of Kyler Murray, Haskins is likely the next best bet in this class to be a long-term starter in the NFL. It’s easy to feel good about his chances of being a franchise quarterback.