What they're saying about Hassan Haskins' draft stock

Michigan football’s draft efforts in 2022 are headlined by EDGE defender Aidan Hutchinson, the potential No. 1 overall pick. The Wolverines still send a healthy helping of prospects to the pros this year, though. Eight Michigan players were invited to the NFL Combine with a few others (safety Brad Hawkins among them) hoping to get an opportunity.

Running back Hassan Haskins is probably the biggest impact Wolverine in the draft after Hutchinson and David Ojabo. Haskins rank for 1,327 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, headlined by a five-touchdown performance against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was Michigan’s dirty work running back, picking up tough yards in critical situations and was someone to lean on when the offense needed a play.

Haskins is not a burner but still looks like a safe bet to be a mid-round pick on film. The pre-draft process has been a bit of a drag, though. Haskins did not run at the NFL Combine or Michigan’s pro day while protecting an ankle injury he suffered in the Orange Bowl loss to Georgia.

As the dust settles on the pre-draft cycle, here is a sampling of how Haskins is viewed nationally as a prospect.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein

Big runner who is much more workmanlike than dynamic with the ball in his hands. In his lone season as a lead back, Haskins’ downhill, physical style was well-paired with the “cloud of dust” rushing philosophy for Michigan. He might be forced to run with less patience and more urgency to stay a step ahead of NFL pursuit. While he played the role he was cast into, there were signs (versus Penn State) that he might have some potential as an inside/outside back. Haskins won’t make a living out of dodging tacklers, and big chain-movers who lack wiggle are not hard to find. He still has a chance to stick in the NFL if he lands in the right situation.

Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department

Haskins tends to run high when going through the hole on run plays and with a narrow base. He can be brought down a bit too easily from side and shoelace tackles because of this. He also has just OK long speed and is more of an efficient than explosive runner, getting what’s blocked for him.

Overall, Haskins will be useful on many NFL teams as a passing-down No. 2 or 3 running back because of his ability to pass protect and his steadiness in the run game and as a pass-catcher. He lacks the burst, quickness and overall juice teams would want from their main back or even in a featured role in a rotation. But he is an efficient runner who has the tempo and vision to get what’s blocked for him, which can take a couple of carries a game. Haskins is also a tough and competitive player and plays with enough awareness that he can be a solid contributor on special teams as a rookie.

The Draft Network’s Kyle Crabbs

Michigan RB Hassan Haskins has enjoyed a career resurgence in his fourth season in Ann Arbor. As part of a two-headed rushing attack with Blake Corum, Haskins has provided the thunder in the Wolverines backfield en route to rumbling for nearly 1,300 yards on the ground with 20 scores heading into the CFP. These figures are double what Haskins had been able to post in his first three seasons combined and offer an exciting look into what he can potentially be as a ball-carrier. A stout running back who will tip the scales around 220 pounds on gameday, Haskins has a physical, grinding approach to his carries and wears down opposing defenses, as best evidenced by his monster performance against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Michigan’s big win to help propel them to the CFP. But what makes Haskins interesting is that he isn’t just a jackhammer runner.

He’s got a fair level of juice in the open field to run away from tacklers and break pursuit angles in the process, giving him some dynamic upside. He’s an accomplished athlete. He was a basketball standout in high school and finished second in the high jump in the state championships in track. On the gridiron alone, Haskins has journeyed to the defensive side of the football and back, committing to convert to defense during his redshirt freshman season before being pulled back to play running back in 2019 based on team need. With a significant role in pass protection on his resume as well, at the very least you know he could handle a number of roles for you early on. 

NBC Sports Edge’s Thor Nystrom

Haskins is a hard-charging, forward-leaning runner with very good contact balance. He labors to change directions, and he isn’t going to out-run anyone, but he’s able to pick up yards in the open field because his footwork and vision are good, and he’s got a nasty stiff arm.

While Haskins didn’t get as many opportunities in the passing game as some of his contemporaries, he projects to be, pardon the pun, passable in this area in the NFL. He isn’t going to snap any ankles on his route breaks, and he isn’t much of a YAC threat. But Haskins has soft hands and can be relied upon in the check-down gain to salvage yardage. He’s also, it must be mentioned, a fortified, willing, and physical pass blocker.

What we saw out of Haskins last year, that’s the hope for him in the NFL. The concern you have is that he doesn’t have any standout physical traits. But you know he’s going to bring the lunchpail on early-down meat-and-potatoes work, and he’s got at least the hands and the pass-pro reliability to be usable on throwing downs.

NFLDraftBuzz.com’s Haskins profile

Hassan Haskins is a traditional big-bodied power back that can run through walls. He isn’t flashy but he has skills as a blocker and as a short-yardage back. Haskins however isn’t a threat as a receiver and doesn’t have the speed to take it the distance around the edge. We expect Haskins to be a solid if unspectacular pro who will likely carve out a nice career in a back rotation scheme. He’ll likely be selected in the 4th or 5th round of the 2022 NFL Draft.