Dwayne Haskins ‘twice the thrower’ that RG3 was, says former NFL executive

When reports emerged that owner Dan Snyder had “taken over” the first round of the Redskins’ draft last month so the team could take quarterback Dwayne Haskins, it was natural to think of Robert Griffin III.

The Redskins, after all, invested so much into Griffin — trading away future picks in order to grab him — only for the move to backfire longterm. Though the Redskins didn’t trade up to take Haskins, Snyder’s involvement made fans nervous before the draft. 

But according to a former NFL executive, there’s a big difference between the two quarterbacks.

“Dwayne Haskins is twice the thrower of Robert Griffin III,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said recently on a podcast. “RG3 was never a good pocket quarterback. When it came to third down, and you’re sitting in the pocket, and you don’t have the benefit of play action and its 3rd-and-6 or 3rd-and-7 plus … he folded like a lawn chair. That was not his forte — he doesn’t have the football intellect that Dwayne Haskins does.”

Appearing on the “John Keim Report,” Riddick said the Redskins have something “special” in Haskins, who they drafted 15th overall. Riddick worked for a number of NFL franchises, including the Redskins for six years (2001 to 2007). 

Haskins is competing with veteran Case Keenum for the starting job. Riddick said Keenum is “not in the same ZIP code” as Haskins in terms of talent.

“This is a legit, legit franchise quarterback, and they need to protect this young man and set the table for him,” Riddick said. “They have not had anything like him since 2001. They need to realize that they have something special here, and they need to set the table for him in every way they can.”