Urban Meyer has frequently lauded Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins as "the best quarterback ever to play at Ohio State," doing so again last week.
The former Buckeyes coach and three-time national champion has a strong case, considering he watched Haskins throw for 4,831 yards and 50 touchdowns, to just eight interceptions and with a 70 percent completion percentage during their final season together at Ohio State in 2018.
Meyer also isn't afraid to speak of Haskins' shortcomings. With the 22-year-old quarterback entering his second season in Washington since being selected 15th overall, Haskins' lack of experience, Meyer says – though no fault of his own – is a natural impedance in his transition to the NFL.
Meyer was asked about Haskins during a Friday afternoon appearance on FS1's "Speak For Yourself." Meyer divulged he met recently with new Redskins head coach Ron Rivera and VP of Player Personnel, Kyle Smith, revealing they "asked a lot of questions about Dwayne."
"Now Coach, you expressed some concerns when Dwayne Haskins was leaving in terms of his maturity, and landing in Washington not necessarily hitting the ground running just yet," said host Marcellus Wiley. "But now he has a new coaching staff in Washington. What are your expectations of Dwayne?"
"I got to spend time with Coach Rivera and I really didn't know him before," Meyer said. "But, boy, I really like him and his general manager, and spent time with them. They asked a lot of questions about Dwayne."
"My concerns about Dwayne wasn't so much maturity as the fact of lack of experience," he said. "He had the best quarterback year in the history of Ohio State, one of the best years in college football history for a quarterback. However, it was one year, and to think he's ready to go lead a franchise immediately.
"You know the NFL is such a different game, such a fast game. It's everybody's All-Star. And learning a new system. So my concerns were only that lack of experience."
"I think he's gonna be fine if they stick with him," Meyer added. "And once again, what's the common denominator, is will they surround him with excellent players? If they surround him with excellent players, he'll be a great quarterback. If they don't, he won't."
After releasing Jordan Reed and losing veteran Vernon Davis to retirement, the Redskins added a strong mix of veterans and up-and-comers looking to prove themselves – namely Richard Rodgers and Logan Thomas – to their tight ends group, but failed to land any top offensive talent in free agency.
After whiffing on top targets Austin Hooper and Amari Cooper, Rivera's crew settled on adding depth pieces to the offense, like wide receiver Cody Latimer and running backs Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic, while also retooling the offensive line. The remainder of their focus has been on building up the defense, particularly on the back end.
While Terry McLaurin proved to be a legitimate threat during his rookie season, Washington simply hasn't done a good job of surrounding Haskins with more talent. And that's not a recipe for success for the second-year passer, according to Meyer.
Hopefully that changes with the upcoming draft and beyond.
Related:
Collins: Haskins just needs a coach 'that has faith in him'
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