Ohio State quarterback Dwyane Haskins declared himself eligible for the 2019 NFL Draft and he is expected to be the first QB selected.
Haskins, the MVP of the Rose Bowl, threw three touchdowns in a win over Washington in Urban Meyer’s final game as a head coach before he retired.
Haskins finished third overall in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Oklahoma’s Kyle Murray and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.
In the age of social media, Haskins informed the public of his intentions to go pro via a Twitter post.
They say that dreams come true
and when they do, that there's a beautiful thing… Scarlet & Gray Forever #BuckeyeNation #ThankYou pic.twitter.com/ngHQfLq8C7— Dwayne Haskins, Jr🌹 (@dh_simba7) January 7, 2019
Jersey Boys
Haskins was born in New Jersey and grew up in Highland Park. He mentioned that he’s love to play for his hometown team, the New York Giants, who play their home games at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
The Giants finished the season 5-11 and will have a top 8 pick in the upcoming draft. The organization will be looking for Eli Manning’s replacement.
Haskins tweeted, “Even though I didn’t get a chance to play in the CFB playoff, best believe I’ma win a Super Bowl.”
Haskins clearly stated his desire to win the Super Bowl, no matter which team he plays for. Both the Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars are shopping for quarterbacks in the upcoming draft.
The 6-foot-3 Haskins draws comparisons to Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan, which is quite the compliment. Scouts like Haskins’ arm strength and accuracy.
From Run-First to Pass-First
Dwyane Haskins is the sole reason Urban Meyer tweaked his offensive scheme. Ohio State has been perennially known as a running back school with a run-first mentality. With Haskins talent, Meyer knew it was a no-brainer to focus the offense around his star QB.
Haskins set school records and shattered Big Ten passing records with his offensive onslaught this past season. Haskins finished the 2018 season with 4,831 passing yards, 50 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He also completed 70 percent of his passes. He tossed 13 multiple-touchdown games including five games in which he threw five or more scores.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVWNFFa3L-o
Thin QB Ranks
Last season saw five quarterbacks selected in the 2018 NFL Draft. All five of them made a major impact on their teams this season including Baker Mayfield (Browns), Sam Darnold (NY Jets), Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Josh Allen (Bills), and Josh Rosen (Cardinals).
When Oregon’s Justin Herbert said he intended to stay in school one more year, Haskins became the most coveted QB in the country. West Virginia’s Will Grier (71 touchdowns over last two seasons) is also at the top of the list, but the senior gunslinger is not in the same category as any of last year’s stocked draft class. Grier skipped a bowl game to prepare for the NFL combine.
TOP 5 COLLEGE QUARTERBACKS
1. Dwyane Haskins (Ohio State)
2. Will Grier (West Virginia)
3. Drew Lock (Missouri)
4. Daniel Jones (Duke)
5. Ryan Finley (NC State)
Missouri’s Drew Lock threw 95 touchdowns over the last three seasons. Lock is considered a late pick in the first round, or possibly an early second rounder. Duke’s Daniel Jones decided to skip his senior season. He started the last three seasons for the Blue Devils and threw 52 touchdowns. Ryan Finley finished his senior year at North Carolina State and tossed 60 touchdowns over the last three seasons as a starter.
Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy, but the Oklahoma QB and two-sport star intends to pursue a career in professional baseball.
Clemson’s QB Trevor Lawrence won the national title for the Tigers when they upset Alabama in the College Football Championship. The true freshman will have to wait two more seasons to go pro.
