The Washington Redskins are targeting former Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
The Redskins have been long rumored to be in the market for a quarterback with Alex Smith presumably out for a while as he recovers from his compound fracture in his leg. Longtime backup Colt McCoy is also recovering from a fractured leg in which has required three surgical procedures since December.
Washington traded for Case Keenum last month and he is expected to compete for the starting job with McCoy, however, both have one year remaining on their current contracts. And despite relative success, both are considered stopgap options.
Earlier this week, Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams said acquiring Keenum “does not put us out of the realm” of picking a quarterback in the draft.
The Redskins have been linked to Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen, as the Cardinals consider drafting former Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the No. 1 overall pick. However, according to Russini, that no longer may be the case, as the Redskins have shifted focus to Haskins.
Haskins and Murray are considered to be the top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Even if Murray is not selected first overall, he and Haskins are expected to come off the board early. If the Redskins want Haskins, they may be required to trade up from the 15th overall pick they currently own.
With the draft being one day away, there are many reports expected to leak that may be factual or smokescreens to hide teams’ intentions. Haskins to the Redskins would be an ideal move for Washington, but we’ll have to see how the draft plays out.
