It’s fair to say the stock is up for New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson coming off of the weekend.
The former Ohio State product was relied upon in the clutch to deliver for his team and not only did he put up video game numbers but he also helped pick up the dub.
That raised a ton of eyebrows around the league and naturally earned him some pretty lofty praise from the national media.
Garrett Wilson = Justin Jefferson?
The youngster finished the day with eight receptions for over 102 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. All of those marks led the team and sealed an improbable 31-30 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
After the game, Wilson was crowned by everyone as the second coming of something special. Although no one was quite as emphatic as former NFL quarterback and current ESPN television analyst Dan Orlovsky on Get Up:
“The rookie target record is 167 targets, Garrett Wilson should break that. If I was the Jets I’m throwing him the ball at least 10 times a game. In that last drive, I was just saying throw the ball to No. 17. Just find No. 17 and throw him the ball, you’ll win the game if you do and sure enough they did. He is the best Jets offensive player in 20 years? I mean he’s going to be the next Justin Jefferson superstar at wide receiver.”
.@danorlovsky7 thinks #Jets WR Garrett Wilson (@GarrettWilson_V) is the best offensive player for NYJ in 20 years + ‘he’s going to be the next Justin Jefferson (@JJettas2) superstar at wide receiver’ 👀: 🎥 @GetUpESPN #TakeFlight @OhioStateFB @Espngreeny @nyjets
Now some guy named Curtis Martin who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame may have something to say about one of those comments, however, the point remains.
Wilson is a special talent and obviously, the Jets recognized that. Gang Green selected him with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Although if he can be half of the player that Jefferson has turned out to be for the Minnesota Vikings, the Jets are going to be in excellent shape moving forward.
In his first two seasons (and change) the former LSU star has rewritten the record books at the wide receiver position:
- 211 receptions
- 3,248 receiving yards
- 19 touchdowns
Somehow Jefferson is only 23 years of age and was able to make an immediate impact. Similarly, Wilson was able to accomplish those plays in just his second game, just imagine how he’ll progress throughout the season.
What Is the Ceiling for Garrett Wilson?
This raises an all-important question every Jets fan is asking themselves right now, is this real life?
The Jets are infamous for selecting the wrong guy every year in the draft. Did they finally get it right? What is Wilson’s ceiling? Was this simply the result of a game script built around a guy who was hot or was this a sign of things to come?
Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media joined me on my podcast and shared his thoughts on the subject:
“The biggest thing from watching him through two regular season games is he just gets open. I haven’t seen a Jets receiver that just gets open all the time. I don’t think it’s a stretch after what we saw on Sunday that you could make a strong argument he is already the best receiver on the team. What he did with that first touchdown, the move he made at the goal-line, and how open he got, there aren’t a lot of guys in the league that can do that.”
Vasquez admitted that it is still very early but Wilson is only going to get better as the season progresses and he gets more seasoned.
Looked at all of Garrett Wilson’s targets vs CLE. He had a HUGE game but it could’ve been even better. Flacco was a little off on 4 targets (including 2 would be TD’s) and Wilson had the big drop late in the 4th Q. This dude is special.
This is an exciting time to be a Jets fan and with so many bubbling offensive pieces, it seems like the team believes they can trade punches with any team in the NFL.
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Jets WR Garrett Wilson Earns ‘Superstar’ Comparison to Pro Bowl WR