RBV Profile: Hassan Haskins
Updated: Jan 31, 2022
Michigan's Hassan Haskins has made good on the three-star pedigree (per ESPN and247Sports) he had coming into college. His 2021 campaign, resulted in producing the 20th most scrimmage yards with 1404. At 6'1", 220 pound, Haskins profiles as a good Inside Zone runner with some upside in Power run schemes.
The Data
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Hassan Haskins tallied most of his attempts in Power and Inside Zone (IZ) schemes. There was a sprinkle of Outside Zone (OZ). His ASR in the OZ scheme is interesting given the low amount of attempts. Given Michigan's preference to run IZ three times more than OZ, the lack of attempts in OZ should not be a concern. This could limit potential landing spots significantly since only seven NFL teams currently run IZ near the 30% clip that Michigan does. With that said, the OZ success indicates that landing with a heavy OZ team could be highly compatible for his skill set.
It is interesting that Haskins is missing from some of the 2022 NFL Draft big boards, especially since he grades out better in RBV Zone schemes than the likes of Isaiah Spiller and Kyren Williams. Landing spot ultimately will determine who dynasty GMs target, but as of right now, RBV gives the advantage to Haskins.
The Tape
Vision and Burst
Hassan Haskins has consistent first level vision to identify gaps. He bolsters this ability with a good mental processing speed when responding to shifting leverage on key blocks. This is facilitated by his persistence in pressing the point of attack. As a patient runner, he effectively utilizes lead blockers and paces well such that overshooting gaps is a rarity. Good lateral quickness and agility allow him to vanish from the grasp of penetrating defensive linemen at the point of attack. This frequently demonstrates the self awareness of his ability versus the defender in front of him.
Good burst allows him to exploit gaps through the trenches and he has enough to get to the edge as well. His speed to the edge is more evident when there are no lead blockers present. This demonstrates his patience and intelligence even more so as he lacks ego in the right places.
Finishing
While he has good homerun speed, it fades a little bit on longer runs. Defenses will need to respect his speed with proper pursuit angles. Haskins demonstrates good play strength to run through weak arm tackles and utilizes pad level well to fall forward against form tackles.
While he breaks these 1-armed tackles easily, you won't find him breaking many ankles. It appears that Haskins prioritizes north-south movement over elusiveness despite the fact that he demonstrates effective elusiveness in or near the trenches. I would assume that he understands small adjustments when moving at the top of his speed band are more effective given his skill set. Sacrificing speed to elude defenders via an extreme change of direction is less preferable than the slight adjustments that make clean hits less frequent. Reducing his attack surface makes for additional yards given good play strength and contact balance. This is how he will win at the second level.
Receiving
The best thing about his receiving ability is that it is consistent and reliable. He did demonstrate some ability to adjust to passes above his head and below his waist, but there was little opportunity to witness throws way out in front or behind him. He was split out wide a few times, but the sample size is underwhelming and he was never targeted here. Once the ball is in his hands, there is no wasted time getting upfield after the catch.
Blocking
Hassan Haskins should be able to earn reps early in the NFL as a good pass protector. He has no problem identifying his assignments, and he squares up well adding solid use of hands upon engagement. He demonstrates good play strength upon engagement which is nice in combination with solid technique. He is unlikely to be a liability at the next level.
Concerns
Haskins doesn't have any glaring concerns. The biggest issue is that he doesn't have a specific feature of his game that "pops". Aside from that, there are some reservations with his lack of elusiveness and running out of steam on 40+ yard runs in the open field.
Summary
In the NFL, we should have confidence that Hassan Haskins is a running back a team can win with given his patience, vision, and footwork in the trenches. While he has the explosive ability demonstrated in his burst through the trenches, I would anticipate this advantage to dwindle due to the elevated athleticism of defenders at the next level. His self-awareness and focus on getting positive yards versus breaking the "big one" will be a comfort for teams that are patient with the run game. He may appear "boring" to the untrained eye, but the little things he does well add up to consistent production behind a good offensive line. Though the RBV shows his fit to be with a heavy Zone team, teams should look to elevate his potential within the Power run scheme. Teams will be able to use him in pass-catching situations as a solid receiver out of the backfield or a good blocker. Like many of the running backs in this class, he feels like a day 3 selection given the current landscape and lack of vacancies in the NFL.