Getty Dwayne Haskins is the favorite to be the top quarterback selected in the 2019 NFL draft.
Dwayne Haskins has yet to announce whether he will enter the 2019 NFL draft, but he is the favorite to be the top quarterback selected in April. Prior to the Rose Bowl, Haskins noted he would be fine with either coming back to Ohio State or entering the draft.
“I feel like if I were to leave, I’d be fine,” Haskins told ESPN.com. “I feel like I’d be fine staying or leaving, so the biggest thing is being comfortable and being happy with the decision.”
Haskins had a chance to be the top quarterback selected even before Justin Herbert announced his decision to return to Oregon. Herbert’s decision makes Haskins the prohibitive favorite to be the top quarterback, but Haskins noted that does not factor into his decision.
“I felt I was the best quarterback in the country regardless of what Herbert did,” Haskins told ESPN.com. “I’m happy he made that decision for himself, but the decision had nothing to do with me.”
Haskins Goes to the Giants at No. 6 in Our Latest Mock Draft
Haskins may not have declared for the draft, but players typically go pro when their draft stock is as high as the Ohio State quarterback. In our latest NFL mock draft, Haskins went No. 6 to the Giants. Both the Giants and Jaguars pick inside the top 10 and are likely in the market for a quarterback.
ESPN’s Todd McShay has Haskins as his top-ranked quarterback and No. 18 overall prospect.
Haskins anticipates well, and he has touch on shorter throws and the high-level arm to drive the ball down the field with accuracy. Based solely on his physical tools, the bar is really high for the Ohio State starter despite a limited college career. It’s still unclear whether Haskins will enter the draft, but he has the talent to ultimately be the first QB off the board. The numbers were eye-popping for the third-year sophomore: 47 passing touchdowns, just eight interceptions, more than 4,500 yards and a 70.1 completion percentage.
Haskins threw for 4,580 yards, 47 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first full season as a starter at Ohio State. One scout spoke with Yahoo Sports about Haskins’ first round status.
“He’s got a lot of talent, great size and arm strength,” the scout told Yahoo Sports. “Ideally, we’d see him throw guys open, but I think he’s the real deal. I think he’s talented enough that he’d be a first-round pick if he leaves.”
Haskins Is Confident in His Ability to Impress NFL Teams During the Draft Process
Not only are talent evaluators confident in Haskins’ ability, Haskins himself believes he will perform well during the draft process. The Ohio State quarterback spoke with ESPN.com about what it would be like to talk to NFL teams.
“I’m extremely confident. I’d kill the board [to write plays on]. I love protections, I love plays,” he said. “If you don’t like that being a quarterback, you’re not going to last long. Everyone can throw a football, but if you can’t ID fronts, if you can’t see pressure, you’re not going to last long.
“You have to learn how to love to watch film, be able to learn how to love protections at the end of the day, because that’s what will make you last. I could write a book on protections, honestly.”
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