Getty Former BYU QB Zach Wilson shortly after being selected by the New York Jets in the NFL Draft!
Zach Wilson is now the highest drafted player in BYU Football history. The New York Jets fulfilled the prophecy that has been foretold for weeks if not months by selecting the 21-year old gunslinger from Draper, Utah.
Wilson has some huge shoes to fill. Not only as the face of the franchise for the green and white, but also to continue the long line of success of previous Cougar quarterback alum in the NFL.
Jim McMahon, John Beck, and of course Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young.
Young started the Zach Wilson hype train a few weeks ago when he told KNBR that the Jets had “committed” to him and his family. He ended up being right.
Will Steve Young be right again?
Then this week Young joined New York Jets ESPN reporter Rich Cimini on his podcast ‘Flight Deck’ and shared this nugget on Zach Wilson’s potential ceiling:
“Every generation has a handful of guys that define the position. He’s set up to be one of those. Now, can he go get it? Can he go do it? There are a lot of filters and a lot of hurdles and a lot of things you have to go through to get there, but I think he’s the No. 2 pick for the Jets because of what that looks like, because of his potential.”
If New York Jets fans aren’t buzzed enough about the selection of Wilson second overall. How about this?
A Hall of Famer calling Wilson a potential generational talent that can define the position? Time to get hyped.
Everyone has talked about Trevor Lawrence for years being the messiah of this class, but not everyone feels that way. One executive shared this about Wilson ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft to ESPN:
“It’d at least be worth a heated discussion in a normal year. I might actually take him if I had the first pick. I’m in the minority. His release, mechanics, and the ability to play fast are elite.”
Zach Wilson is one of the most exciting players to watch on tape from this 2021 NFL Draft class. He can make something out of nothing. Unreal arm talent. Speaking to people around him, he has a palpable swagger and energy about him that’s infectious to his teammates.
This Jets franchise is starving for a leader. A quarterback that can grab this team and take them to the next level. Wilson is exactly the kind of player the Jets have been searching for.
New era: All Gas, No Brake!
This is a new era on 1 Jets Drive. A new head coach in Robert Saleh. A brand new quarterback in Wilson. Although the man with the most pressure is general manager Joe Douglas. Ultimately the perception of Douglas’ career as the head honcho of the Jets will be defined by how good Wilson becomes.
While a lot of that is on Zach Wilson developing and realizing his full potential, he can’t do it by himself. There’s a long sad history of quarterbacks who failed to develop with the Jets: Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, Christian Hackenberg, and most recently Sam Darnold.
The Jets have another nine selections in this draft and one of the focuses the rest of the way should be building around Wilson. Protection and playmakers was a phrase that Douglas used with Darnold, now it’s time to put his money where his mouth is.