Which NFL Team Drafts Dwayne Haskins: Odds & Predictions

Like many of his fellow draftees, quarterback Dwayne Haskins made the choice to forgo his remaining college football years to enter the 2019 NFL Draft, happening Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27.

But with only fourteen college starts under his belt, there are questions as to whether Haskins will be ready to play football at the NFL level and which quarterback-needy franchise will be willing to take him on as their new offensive project?

The odds favor seven teams, two highly, and here we take a look at Haskin’s story and which teams have the best odds at making a run at drafting him onto their 2019 roster.

Quick Bio: who is Dwayne Haskins?

Dwayne Haskins Jr. is a 21-year-old quarterback who was born in 1997  to Tamara Haskins and entrepreneur Dwayne Sr. in Highland Park, New Jersey and moved to Maryland in ninth grade where he went to the Bullis School in Potomac.

Haskins was “never really into sports,” says his father, but by the seventh grade he already had an admirable throwing motion, according to two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Shawn Sprig who saw the young Haskins at a football camp.

He made great grades, too, Haskins even creating an eighth-grade science fair presentation on the aerodynamics of throwing a football, including an analysis on how to generate the highest velocity.

The 6-foot-3, 198 pound recruit originally committed to the University of Maryland, but in January of 2016 Haskins committed to THE Ohio State University to play college football.

Did Haskins start right away at OSU?

No, Haskins redshirted his freshman year in 2016.

The next year, 2017, he served primarily as a backup to J.T. Barrett, who now serves as an NFL backup to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

As a backup, Haskins completed 40-of-57 for 565 yards and four touchdowns with 1 interception and a completion percentage of 70.2, good enough to assure him the starting role his sophomore year in 2018.

How good was Haskins as a starter at Ohio State?

Let’s just say record-setting.

Haskins completed 373-of-533 for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions and a completion percentage of 70.0 and a passer rating of 175.8.

Haskins was a Heisman Trophy finalist, a multi Player of the Week Award winner, a Big Ten Champion and a Rose Bowl Champion MVP who broke the single season passing and touchdown records for Ohio State and the Big Ten.

After all that winning, Haskins decided to forgo his final two college football seasons and declared himself eligible for the 2019 NFL Draft.

Should Haskins have stayed in college one more year?

There are arguments on both sides of that question that make total sense.

An extra year taking snaps as a starter would improve Haskins skills, no doubt, and that would put him in a position to be effective and successful much sooner as an NFL starter.

The downside of staying is the possibility of sustaining a serious injury that could threaten his future draft status or even his career in general, not to mention the amount of money he would miss out on (see below).

How did Haskins do at the NFL combine?

Recently, Haskins participated in the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, IN and by most accounts scored about a B for his performance.

He weighed in at 231 pounds, his arms 33 ½” long, his hands 9 5/8” wide, his 40-yard dash time was 5.04 seconds and his vertical leap was 28.5 inches.

Haskins received a prospect grade of 6.20, which indicates he should become an instant starter in the NFL.

What do NFL scouts like about Haskins?

Basically his strong arm and his pocket presence.

Haskins has a quick release and is accurate and has the ability to anticipate receivers.

At the combine, Haskins dominated the post-and-go routes where his throws were right on target, he threw accurate slant patterns like he did all season and he was able to connect with receivers he hadn’t previously worked with.

Haskins also made two strong, deep throws that allowed him to show off his impressive throwing motion and powerful arm.

What do NFL scouts dislike about Haskins?

To put it respectfully yet bluntly, his lack of speed and muscle definition.

Haskins’ 40-yard dash was over five seconds, which is slow for an offensive lineman let alone a quarterback in the NFL, but as primarily a pocket passer, his speed might not be as big a factor as it would be if he were more of a scrambler.

And as for his lack of muscle definition (some rude folks might even say ‘chubby’), that will mostly likely improve once Haskins is being trained by an NFL staff and lifting weights under the guidance of NFL specialists who make it their job to make football players stronger.

How much money does Haskins stand to make?

Millions, of course, but the exact amount depends on who signs him.

And it won’t necessarily be the yearly salary where Haskins will make his initial money, but from a signing bonus that’s typically given to high drafted rookies.

For instance, last year UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen was selected tenth in the draft by the Arizona Cardinals and he was given a four-year deal worth $17.84 million, but $11 million of that came in the form of a signing bonus.

Which teams are interested in Haskins, including their odds?

There are many teams that have a pressing need for young quarterback talent, and the odds for seven of them have been released online.

Never bet what you don’t have, of course, and pay attention to the numbers so you can do your best to avoid the type of odds that they’re giving on these teams right now.

When the best you can do is bet $220 to make $100, you might want to move on to the next wager available.

6^th pick: New York Giants      +220

Given that the Giants’ current starting quarterback Eli Manning is said to be on the way out and add to that the fact that he and Haskins are both pocket passers, this does seem to be the perfect fit.

Haskins has had barely over a dozen college starts, so he needs to learn more and Manning would most likely help him to do that for his backup, though Haskins would most likely end up taking over the starting role during the season once he’s more comfortable at the NFL level.

7^th pick: Jacksonville Jaguars           +550

One possibility for Haskins is if the Jacksonville Jaguars trade up with the Oakland Raiders to get the fourth pick where Haskins is still likely to be available.

The Jaguars have seemed to lost faith in their current starting quarterback Blake Bortles, who took the team to a 5-11 last place finish in the AFC South last season.

15^th pick: Washington Redskins      +600

There’d have to be some serious wheeling and dealing for the Washington Redskins to trade up from their fifteenth pick and have a shot at Haskins.

Haskins would start immediately for the Redskins as their current starter, Alex Smith, brutally injured his leg against the Houstons Texan during Week 11 last season (think Joe Theismann but even more gruesome) and doubts have surfaced that he may not be ready for the 2019 season.

13^th pick:  Miami Dolphins     +600

The Miami Dolphins might have to climb a bit to get Haskins, but after their current starter Ryan Tannehill’s inconsistent and injury-riddled tenure at starter they could be willing to trade up and climb away.

Of course, some mock drafts have Haskins still available at pick thirteen, but whether that remains true in the reality of the quarterback-hungry NFL is highly doubtful.

10^th pick: Denver Broncos      +700

The Denver Broncos proved they are in the market for quarterback talent having just traded with the Baltimore Ravens for veteran Joe Flacco, and now Drew Lock from Missouri is the young future quarterback whose name is being thrown around the most with the Broncos.

Even if Flacco does have some Super Bowl run worthy gas left in his tank, the Broncos wouldn’t mind having a guy like Lock (or Haskins?) waiting around on the sidelines for when Flacco no longer does.

4^th pick: Oakland Raiders                +700

The Oakland Raiders are definitely in the market for any young talent they can get their hands on, but using their fourth pick on Haskins doesn’t seem likely given their more overwhelming defensive needs and who else would still be available.

Plus the Raiders already have veteran Derek Carr under center, and head coach Jon Gruden has stated that Carr is still a “great quarterback”.

11^th pick: Cincinnati Bengals           +1100

The Cincinnati Bengals rumors started with Haskins posting a picture of himself wearing a Bengals uniform on his Instagram account, but the truth is he did that with several teams.

Of course, the Bengals haven’t made the playoffs for the last three seasons with current starter Andy Dalton, so who knows who Zac Taylor their new head coach will prefer under center.