#131, Round 4. Hassan Haskins - University of Michigan Running Back
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 220 Pounds
College Highlights!
I really love this pick by the Titans because I love running backs and I am a recent fan of Michigan!
Hassan Haskins had a really solid collegiate career as a Michigan Wolverine for three years. His most recent 2021 junior season was by far his best. Haskins really showed out with a number of memorable performances over massive rivals. Haskins was a big reason why Michigan won the Big Ten Championship.
In 2021, Haskins recorded FIVE rushing touchdowns against MASSIVE rival Ohio State in a HUGE victory for the program. The light snow made it way cooler in my opinion LOL.
Haskins really solidified his place as a Michigan legend by recording 20 rushing touchdowns in 2021, breaking a 53 year old Michigan football record for the most rushing touchdowns in a season!
Haskins really does look like a big old explosive Titans running back. Many of the Titans best running backs have been on the tall side for the position.
- Earl Campbell - 5'11"
- Eddie George - 6'3"
- Chris Johnson - 5'11"
- DeMarco Murray - 6'0"
- Derrick Henry - 6'3"
Obviously I won't include Hassan Haskins with the Titans best backs since he hasn't played a single down for the Titans yet. But he is officially a Titan and he stands at 6'2". While I suppose this is more of a superstitious point, I just think it's cool to see the Titans snag a back with a physical frame similar to the Titans' history.
Many times I feel it's assumed running backs should be on the shorter side, and it's very true that there have been many elite backs from 5'7" - 5'10". Obviously 5'11" isn't really all that big, I still feel it's slightly above average for a running back.
Many teams outright prefer a shorter back because that height tends to provide more mobility and a lower center of gravity which provides better balance. The shorter backs also have the natural advantage of being hard to see amongst the fray of all the big bodies at the line of scrimmage.
I've heard it all my football watching life, especially during the Derrick Henry era, that a weakness of a big back is that their legs are too long and big and therefore they can be an easy tackle.
Once again the NFL has a mixture of little man syndrome and an addiction to speed, and no not the drug. At least I hope not.
People can fail to see the advantages of a big back. Big backs are powerful and just stronger. Football is still a sport for big strong humans. Simple. People try to overthink, outsmart and finesse this violent game too much sometimes.
Haskins not only has great size, but he has the effort and skills to match. Haskins runs violent and aggressively. He rarely gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage. Watching Haskins on tape, makes me want to run through a brick wall. He never stops churning his legs north and south. A real gritty back!
The Titans have had problems finding a good RB2 for a long time now. I think Haskins can be a true RB2 and even share carries with Henry who obviously became injured last season due to carrying the ball one-hundred times a game.
Haskins is not a third down speedster receiving back, although he can catch. He's a lighter version of Derrick Henry and I believe he could play all three downs if he had to. I love it. This can extend Henry's career and simply add younger fresher legs to the offense.
Haskins reminds me a lot of former Titans running backs DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. DeMarco in dark blue, and Chris in white. Funny that they both wore 29. I wonder what number Haskins will be?
Haskins' Career Collegiate Stats/Highlights
- 32 Games Played - 3 at Linebacker!
- 2,324 Rushing Yards
- 5.1 Yards Per Carry
- 30 Rushing Touchdowns
- 1x Second-Team All-American
- 1x First-Team All-Big Ten
Derrick is only getting older and is coming off of a pretty significant injury. I am hopeful Haskins can help take the load off of Derrick and perhaps even be the guy in a few years if Derrick starts to slow down? Hate to see that happen but it is inevitable eventually.
But who knows. All I know is Haskins is a strong prospect and runs forward. He doesn't dance around much, he just gets yards.
Welcome to the team Mr. Haskins, #Titanup!!
