Five stars of NFL combine ...and Haskins
Armed with the knowledge that Kyler Murray wasn’t going to throw, and given that the other quarterbacks in this class had practically zero name value, Dwayne Haskins had a real chance to steal the show at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.
Instead, Haskins looked like that super smart kid in your English class you know didn’t study a lick but sticks a solid B+ on the midterm.
Show up, throw the ball, and duck out of town.
Haskins slogged through the 40 in 5.04 seconds, looking about as fast as dial-up. For reference, Peyton Manning ran the 40 in 4.8 seconds, Ben Roethlisberger in 4.75. Haskins’ time was so bad his PR team immediately let reporters know Haskins had leg cramps during the run.
Speed is not central to Haskins game, of course. That is not the issue here. It’s more that the showing was so underwhelming that it seems to dictate how seriously he took what was essentially a job interview.
The former Ohio State signal-caller had a better, though not outstanding, showing during the throwing drills. There was a certain pop in his ball that reminded you he did, in fact, shred defenses to the tune of 54 total touchdowns this past season (50 passing, 4 rushing).
But he didn’t get himself into phenomenal shape, he didn’t rip off massive throws and, quite honestly, he didn’t look all that engaged in the entire process. I mean, hell, we didn’t even get the requisite planted stories about how he blew away one or two general managers with how well he interviewed. There was zero buzz. There was more excitement surrounding Kyler Murray and for what? Being an inch taller than expected???
There’s enough there to let even casual observers know Haskins has got the goods. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds he has the prototypical size. The game tape shows a guy with a NFLcaliber arm. And by all accounts he sounds like a very nice and intelligent young man.
It wasn’t a terrible combine showing, but “not terrible” is a massive disappointment for a prospect like Haskins. It was the bare minimum from an ubertalented quarterback.
But if you, or more importantly the Giants, were looking for a hot prospect a team could rally around to quickly and quietly escort an aging quarterback into the background like a carton of week-expired milk, Haskins most certainly did not check that box this past weekend.
Eli Manning’s 40 time, for the record, was 4.92.
5 COMBINE STANDOUTS:
D.K. Metcalf: He didn’t just steal the show, he provided his own pyrotechnics with the sparks cast from his cleats when he ran the 40.
The 6-foot-3, 228-pound Ole Miss receiver ran a 4.33 40-yard dash, posted a 40.5 inch vertical and hoised 225 pounds on the bench 27 times. He looked a bit bulky in drills, but from an athletic standpoint he’s a literal one of one at the wide receiver position.
Montrez Sweat: The edge rusher from Mississippi State looks like a runaway train when he gets going. At 6-foot-6 and 260 freaking pounds Sweat ran an unreal 4.41 40, a NFL record time for a defensive lineman. Sweat has all the suddenness and burst you want from a defensive end, even if it’s still a bit unrefined.
Miles Sanders: For all of my fantasy freaks and geeks out there, the running back out of Penn State starred and is a player that could be a hot sleeper, depending on his landing spot.
Jamel Dean: Shoutout to the corner from Auburn for running a blistering 4.30 40. The time is fast, but it’s even more remarkable given that Dean had three knee surgeries between 2014 and 2016. What the hell would he have run if those knees weren’t surgically repaired three times over?!
Parris Campbell: If it wasn’t for Metcalf blocking out the sun, more folks would have spilled more ink on this receiver from Ohio State.