Dwayne Haskins is in the running for a starting job in the NFL.
The Redskins quarterback and No. 15 pick in the 2019 draft received a vote of confidence from his coach Jay Gruden on Friday.
"Oh, for sure," Redskins coach Jay Gruden said when asked if Haskins would be given a chance to compete. "I'd be silly not to. He's put enough out there on tape to say he deserves a shot, without a doubt."
Haskins threw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns in his final season at Ohio State in 2018-19. He was also among the FBS leaders in completion percentage, connecting on a staggering 70% of his passes — which ranked fourth in the country.
The 22-year-old measured in at 6-3 and weighed 231 lbs at the NFL Combine, making him a tantalizing physical specimen.
"I don't know quite what he can do in the NFL in this system because it's new to him, but his ability warrants the fact that, hey, let's take a peek at this big son of a b—," Gruden said.
Washington's quarterback depth chart is depleted at the moment. Alex Smith suffered a career-threatening compound fracture in his leg late last season. So Haskins will battle against the likes of Case Keenum, Colt McCoy and others while Smith recovers.
Many didn't expect Haskins to fall back as far as he did in the draft, as he was one of its top-rated quarterbacks heading in. The Redskins reportedly explored trading for former Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen for fear of missing out on the top young arms. But they may have gotten a huge steal if Haskins can contribute to the team in a big way immediately, or down the road.
Washington is looking to build upon a 7-9 season in which it finished third in the NFC East.