New York Giants: Dwayne Haskins Impresses At NFL Combine

The New York Giants could draft Dwayne Haskins with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Mar 1, 2019; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins (QB05) speaks to media during the 2019 NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

If 50 touchdown passes and 4,831 passing yards didn’t impress you, maybe Dwayne Haskins‘ poise and professionalism will. The New York Giants have emerged as a top team to secure the Ohio State signal caller in the 2019 draft, and there’s no question that Haskins is on board with coming to New York.

The New York Giants would be smart to take a long, hard look at Dwayne Haskins:

The New Jersey native was well-spoken, confident, and bled the white collar attitude of a newfound culture in the Giants’ locker room.

Haskins stated during his NFL Combine interviews, “New York would be a dream for me.” Well, at least we know one quarterback wants to play with Big Blue, alongside special athletes like Saquon Barkley and Odell Beckham Jr.

He was further asked if he believes he can command a room full of men and not just college students. He responded with an astounding, “yes.”

The qualities that Haskins possesses makes up what most teams look for in a passer – intangible and tangible. He has the height, 6-foot-3, the balance, and the arm strength. Throwing for 50 touchdown passes can attest to his accuracy and ability on the field. Now, there are specifics to his game that need refining – footwork, heaviness, movement within the pocket. All of these can be improved with NFL level training.

The anticipation is that whoever is drafted by the Giants this year will have a season to learn behind two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning. A dream come true for most, especially in a draft class that lacks options.

The Giants want to take the Kansas City method and apply it to their development program. Allowing a rookie QB to sit for a season and learn is essential for growth, just ask Patrick Mahomes that claims he wouldn’t have been the same player if he wasn’t under the wing of Alex Smith.

Of course, it would imply that 2019 would be Manning’s final season, and he is likely fine with the idea given the alternative. He will hold a cap-hit of about $23.2 million this upcoming season, and he will probably be asked to take a pay-cut to make his final year as a starter in the NFL worthwhile.

What could happen if Eli Manning struggles:

Having a young quarterback behind Manning can also act as a safety net in case Manning struggles and age really takes its toll. A player like Haskins could step right in and perform.

Essentially, the Giants have three options in the draft: Haskins, Kyler Murray, and Daniel Jones. I will be reviewing them all, but as of now, Haskins seems like the best fit. Murray has the dual-threat ability to take the Giants’ offense to another level. Jones seems to be the odd-man out but resembles Manning too much to be tossed to the curb – Big Blue always finds a way to retain Eli, whether it be him or a clone.