Jay Gruden says Dwayne Haskins has ‘it’ factor
By Bryan Perez
All indications are Dwayne Haskins will open the season as the Washington Redskins starting quarterback. His pre-draft interviews may have been what ultimately set him apart.
Washington Redskins rookie QB Dwayne Haskins was touted as a first-round prospect for most, if not all, of the 2019 NFL draft process. And despite falling behind Kyler Murray (Cardinals) and Daniel Jones (Giants) in the pecking order on draft weekend, he ended up as the 15th pick overall and is already being thrust into a quarterback competition.
He has a good chance of becoming one of only two rookie quarterbacks to start not only in Week 1, but in all of 2019. Murray has already been named Arizona’s franchise savior and, Haskins is slowly inching toward that territory too.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden explained part of the reason why Washington feels so good about the former Ohio State star.
“They’re all pretty confident kids, bright-eyed. I was impressed with the entire class,” Gruden said of this year’s quarterback pool via Sports Illustrated. “But [Haskins] has a demeanor and aura about him, kind of similar to Cam Newton coming out, just an aura of confidence. There’s something about him. When you’re around him, you feel like he’s got it, everything’s going to be O.K.—that he’s going to be successful, because he believes it.”
Haskins’ collegiate resume was limited to just one season as a starter. That said, it was a pretty remarkable one. He set a Big 10 record with 50 touchdown passes (only eight interceptions). He completed 70 percent of his throws for 4,831 yards.
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Quarterbacks who pnly have one season of tape are always extremely risky selections. Especially when they’re picked in the first round. It’s why pre-draft interviews are such an important part of the process; coaches get a valuable look at how a player could potentially lead his team and the presence he’ll bring into the locker room. It’s obvious Haskins made a lasting impression on Gruden, and that impression was a big reason why he’s a Redskin.
“He believes in himself, and you can tell people rally around him, talking to other players like Terry [McLaurin] and Parris Campbell, and some other guys at Ohio State.”