"I'm the best player" in the NFL draft

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It seemed – well, let the coach explain what he looked like when Dwayne Haskins took the field on Wednesday and pitched the football in front of a reservoir of general managers, coaches and coaches. NFL scouts:

"It seemed natural," said Ryan Day, coach of the Ohio State. "It was not forced. Sometimes, when you look at a quarterback, it's: "How is he going to throw?", Dwayne threw the way Dwayne launched. "

The way Dwayne is throwing is appealing enough to interest the Giants, who have the No. 6 pick in the NFL draft next month, and are certainly considering making Haskins choose him as Eli Manning's successor.

The giants brought a large group of their most important eyes and ears to absorb as many Haskins as possible.

"It's an awesome young man," coach Pat Shurmur told The Post.

Shurmur and offensive coordinator Mike Shula attended the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Other Giants participants included Chris Mara, Senior Vice President of Player Personnel; Kevin Abrams, Vice President of Football Operations and Deputy Director General; and Chris Pettit, Director of University Scouting.

General Manager Dave Gettleman prefers to inquire about the player via a film study and will have some personal time with Haskins when he will show up on the team's website as one of the pre-project tours of 30 players. Giants.

The Giants' travel group arrived Tuesday night and then spent quality time with Haskins. He was able to acquire his keen sense of football in the classroom, then dissolve in socializing during dinner.

"It was excellent," said Shurmur. "We obviously spent a lot of time evaluating it and that's part of it. We had the chance to work with him on the board and take him out for dinner, and he's certainly an accomplished and impressive young man. "

Haskins noted that the giants "have obviously shown interest." He grew up in Highland Park, NJ, before his family moved to the suburbs of Maryland.

"Even being considered by New York as a child growing up as a fan, it's an extreme blessing," Haskins said.

The Giants have the advantage of special information, as Shurmur and Day worked together in 2015 on Chip Kelly's staff with the Eagles – Shurmur as the offensive coordinator, Day as a quarterback coach. Day led Ohio's offensive this season and took over from Urban Meyer as head coach of the Buckeyes in 2019.

"He was able to share a lot with me about Dwayne," Shurmur said of Day. "These are all good things."

It has been proven that Haskins, having broken a record as a starting quarterback in the state of Ohio, had already shown a great ability. Shurmur, a former quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, likes to get an idea of ​​things by being in the building.

"Watch him throw it," Shurmur says. "The important thing about Pro Days in general is that you come to his school, you can see how he interacts with his teammates, as well as talk to people who have worked with him."

Shurmur must have noticed how Haskins stopped the pitching session a moment after catcher Parris Campbell remained cheerful after following a route, checking what Campbell was feeling before returning to the exercise.

Haskins, sweat piling up at the front and back of his shirt cut dry, shows his powerful right arm and his impressive physical presence. He described his performance as "solid". About fifty shots, he missed two.

"It pisses me off," Haskins said. "But I think I did a good job."

Haskins disengaged himself from the center of the target and exited the shotgun. He was sometimes asked to get out of the pocket. His movement was questioned by scouts, but he seemed fluid and his arm can receive the balloon anywhere.

He chose not to take part in the 40-yard run after scoring 5.04 last month at a scouting session in Indianapolis and explained that the bad time was the result of a leg cramp.

Haskins was not doing a lot of promotion at the combine, but maybe being back on the campus emboldened him. When asked if he should be in the top five, Haskins said, "It's up to the team to choose me. I feel like I'm the best player in the repechage. "

Haskins seems comfortable in the spotlight, even though he does not exude any atmosphere that he likes to be at the center of all attentions. The quarterback of the giants receives a ton of attention.

"Well, I'm a homebody, so it helps," said Haskins. "The New York media is the New York media. I grew up around that, so it's no different for me. It's something I'm used to playing, and I think I'll be pretty good at it. "