2022 NFL Draft Profiles: What Would Hassan Haskins Bring to the Jaguars' Offense?

The productive Michigan running back has met with the Jaguars, but what would he bring to the team's offense?

Author:
John Shipley
Publish date:
Apr 9, 2022 6:22 PM EDT

The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Michigan running back Hassan Haskins and what he could potentially bring to Jacksonville's offense.

Overview

Ranked a three-star recruit by 247Sports in the 2018 recruiting class, Hassan Haskins was one of the nation's top-50 running back recruits when he became a Wolverine. Ranked the No. 49 running back in the nation (No. 11 prospect in Missouri, No. 975 in the nation), Haskins received nine offers out of college but committed to Michigan over Ohio, Purdue, Memphis, Western Kentucky, Missouri State, Indiana State, Eastern Michigan, and Illinois State.

Haskins appeared in three games as a core special teamer during his true freshman season in 2018. He quickly rose up the depth chart in 2019, however, starting six games in 13 appearances and recording 121 carries for 622 yards (5.1 yards) and four touchdowns, along with six catches for 40 yards (6.7 yards per catch), earning him an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition.

Haskins appeared in six games with two starts in 2020, recording 61 carries for 375 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and six touchdowns. He then had a breakout season in 2021, starting all 14 games and rushing 270 times for 1,327 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and a school-record 20 touchdowns. He also caught 18 passes for 131 yards (7.3 yards per catch) and was named second-team All-American as he led the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns and was named first-team all-conference.

What Hassan Haskins Does Well

A big, thickly-built running back, it is clear that Haskins packs a punch in the running game. He can be the hammer for an offense, rushing in a gap scheme at Michigan and proving he could be the tough and steady heart of a rushing attack. A three-year starter at Michigan, Haskins has plenty of experience both as a rusher and in the passing game.

Haskins does a good job of always keeping his momentum moving forward for positive yardage, frequently coming up big in goal-line and short-yardage situations. He runs with a violent mindset and presents plenty of power in his upper and lower body, helping him break tackles at and behind the line of scrimmage.

Haskins does a good job taking what is there for him, showing solid vision and patience on all kinds of running concepts. He is a tough-nosed runner who is never going to try to be overly creative behind the line of scrimmage, though he does show good instincts for when to pull out a spin move to evade a tackle.

Haskins was also a big part of Michigan's passing game. While he doesn't have the quickness, explosion or speed to be a mismatch as a receiver, he shows good hands as a dump-off option and does a good job of breaking the first tackle and fighting for the first-down marker. Haskins is also physical and instinctive in pass protection, showing the ability to chip on the edge, pick up blitzers and ultimately hang on the field as a third-down option at the next level.

How Hassan Haskins Would Fit With the Jaguars

It is tough to see Haskins as a featured runner at the next level due to his lack of speed, but that doesn't mean he doesn't make a lot of sense for teams looking to add physical and high-floor players to their depth chart. For the Jaguars specifically, Haskins is a player who makes a lot of sense.

The Jaguars are in a position where they truly have no reasons to look for a featured back or starting-level rusher in the draft. Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III are Day 2 options and the Jaguars don't have the roster set up to spend a pick on a running back that early. At the same time, they need to find a running back on Day 3 who can make an impact in the short term as the Jaguars see James Robinson and Travis Etienne recover from their 2021 injuries.

The Jaguars are expected to have Etienne, a 2021 first-round pick, to get some offseason work in this year after his Lisfranc injury as a rookie. Meanwhile, Robinson's timeline would put him closer to training camp after a torn Achilles. The Jaguars will have each running back in some fashion in 2022 -- and each has the talent to be a No. 1 back -- but they do need to add to the depth chart after Dare Ogunbowale's contract expired.

Haskins is the type of running back who could get solid yards behind a good offensive line and also provide enough in pass protection and as a check-down option to earn passing down reps. He is a true No. 3 back at the next level, and the fact he has NFL-ready instincts is a big plus for his fit in Jacksonville.

Verdict

The Jaguars need more of a third running back than a true starter and playmaker at running back, and Hassan Haskins fits exactly that mold. He is more of a mid-Day 3 option who can be an efficient but undangerous rusher while also providing solid hands and pass protection.

In short, he is a solid No. 3 running back who has the size to fill in for longer stretches. He is very much worth Day 3 consideration from the Jaguars because he could step in early as a rookie on passing downs while the Jaguars' injured running backs continue to recover and bounce back.

For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.