Washington Redskins should name Dwayne Haskins Week 1 starter

Sitting him would only be a waste of time. The Washington Redskins should start rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins out of the gate.

If the Washington Redskins are going to be legitimate contenders any time soon, it will be Dwayne Haskins leading the way. With all due respect to veteran Case Keenum, Haskins is obviously the guy who is going to lead this franchise going forward.

Through two preseason games, Haskins has completed 15-of-28 passes for 231 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. While those numbers are obviously far from perfect, he has shown an impressive overall skill-set at the quarterback position and seems extremely calm and poised for a rookie.

When Washington traded for Keenum this offseason, most expected him to be their starting quarterback in 2019. The team drafting Haskins with the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was not expected to change that. Keenum was still likely to have 2019, with Haskins set up to take the job in 2020 and beyond. However, through two preseason games, Haskins looks like he is up for the task of becoming an immediate starter.

The Redskins landing Haskins at 15th overall will likely prove to be a massive steal. He is a strong-armed quarterback who shows impressive overall accuracy and the ability to place the ball where it is needed. Like most rookie quarterbacks, Haskins will likely struggle at times if he is named the starting, but getting him in there to build rapport in the offense and get real NFL game experience could prove to be invaluable.

Keenum has had a nice NFL career, but no matter how you look at it, he is a well below-average starting quarterback. Haskins may not be much better, but he at least has that unknown upside and getting him early snaps should help jumpstart his development.

If Haskins looked scared and unprepared out there, throwing him into the fire as a rookie starting quarterback would be a mistake. However, that is simply not the case. He is a strong and poised presence in the pocket who is ready to lead this team. There is only one move to make here; Dwayne Haskins must be the starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins throughout the 2019 season.