The Washington Redskins made another big addition at quarterback amid uncertainty surrounding Alex Smith's future.
The Redskins drafted Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State with the No. 15 overall pick in the NFL draft, further complicating the picture at the position for both the short and long term.
In his lone season as a starter, the 6-3, 231-pound Haskins, who went to high school in Potomac, Maryland, set Big Ten records with 4,381 passing yards and 50 touchdown throws.
Ahead of the draft, Haskins told USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell he was tuning out talk of a potential slide.
“No adversity will ever break me,” Haskins told USA TODAY Sports over the weekend. “When you play quarterback, you have to have tough skin. The biggest thing I’ve learned – I knew it before this process – is that there are a lot of outside distractions. You just have to keep your focus.”
Smith's status remains unclear after he suffered a compound fracture in his right leg last November and underwent multiple surgeries due to infections. Washington acquired veteran Case Keenum from the Denver Broncos to compete with Colt McCoy, who also suffered a broken leg last December, but neither one is signed past the 2019 season.
Asked in March if he would be prepared to draft a first-round quarterback only to keep him on the bench as a rookie, Redskins coach Gruden acknowledged that setup "would be hard."
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz on Twitter @MikeMSchwartz.
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