Answering the Haskins versus Tua question
Here is where the rubber truly meets the road.
Ultimately, what may determine the answer to this question is something that I cannot breakdown on film. Why? Because despite my father’s best intentions when I was growing up I chose law school over medical school. I’m not a doctor (although lawyers often like to think they are doctors in a way) and I cannot tell you what the status of Tagovailoa’s hip injury is, nor his long-term prognosis.
Let us assume, however, that the hip is cleared and Tagovailoa is even ready to return to live action for the 2020 season, something that the prospect himself expressed optimism that he could do back in January. The question then becomes this: Is Tagovailoa the 2020 prospect a better option than Haskins the 2020 second year prospect, and if so, does it make sense for Washington to pass on their other options with the second overall selection?
In a vacuum, there is an argument to be made that as pure prospects, Tagovailoa is ahead of where Haskins was when he left school. But that is not the equation. Haskins has a year of professional football under his belt, and as we just saw, he was improving down the stretch. He was “getting it.” Despite reports that he was struggling to learn the playbook, we saw evidence of him starting to figure things out and make the anticipation throws that are indicative of a young quarterback seeing the game slow down around him.
While Tagovailoa is a very nice quarterback prospect, he is not without his flaws. I documented some of those in this recent video breaking down his three interceptions last season.
In a nutshell, there are times when Tagovailoa stares down route concepts and “assumes” that the defense is doing something, when in actuality they are not, and it gets him into trouble. He also tends to bail from clean pockets at times, relying on his legs and athleticism to create when he could perhaps climb the pocket and trust the protection around him.
Despite what many believe, Tagovailoa might not be the rock-solid prospect that he is made out to be. Still very good, and worthy of a top selection, but is he better right now than Haskins with a year under his belt?
Then there is the matter of fit. Washington hired Scott Turner as the team’s offensive coordinator back in January, after he spent the end of last season as the Carolina Panthers’ interim offensive coordinator. Yes, he is the son of Norv Turner, and as such his offensive philosophy is rooted in the Turner/Coryell school of thought.
That is not what Tagovailoa was running the past few years at Alabama, but it is more in line with what Haskins has been running. While Jay Gruden had a variety of West Coast concepts in his offense, he also incorporated a very interesting vertical passing game into Washington’s offense, and there are elements of what Haskins was running last season that will be very familiar to what Turner will be installing this year.
So, while both quarterbacks are going to be learning new offenses, Haskins will have an edge in picking things up.
Then there is the cost. Or the lost opportunity cost to be more precise. Should Washington draft Tagovailoa with the second overall selection, they would be passing on two defenders with the potential to make an immediate impact on Week 1: Chase Young, the Ohio State pass rusher, or Jeffrey Okudah, the Ohio State cornerback. Or they could be passing on the chance to trade down, acquire additional draft capital, and continue to build around Haskins. These are all options laid out by Steven Ruiz in this insightful piece for For The Win.
There is certainly an argument that if you are an NFL franchise, you keep trying options at the quarterback spot until you know for sure you have “the guy.” That might make drafting Tagovailoa an enticing option. But I would posit that Washington does have the guy in Haskins. What we saw down the stretch was the passer that made him a first round pick at Ohio State, a rookie quarterback who is figuring it out. In Turner’s offense – at least how we expect it to operate – he would be a good fit and he would be ready to hit the ground running given the conceptual overlap between Gruden’s vertical designs and what Turner will be installing.
In short, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Now whether Washington trades back or drafts one of the Ohio State defenders is a different question. For me, the thought of sliding back a few spots and drafting an Isaiah Simmons has some certain spice to it, but the answer to the underlying question is this: In terms of Haskins versus Tagovailoa, you have your guy, Washington.
Now, build around him.
After ten years of practicing law in the Washington, DC area, Mark Schofield now dedicates his time to his first love: The game of football. The former college quarterback’s work has been featured a number of places, including The Washington Post, Bleacher Report, SB Nation, Pro Football Weekly and the Matt Waldman Rookie Scouting Portfolio.