The unfortunate tale of New York Jets’ QB Zach Wilson
New York Jets’ second year quarterback Zach Wilson has been one of the bigger misses in the NFL in recent memory. Let him serve as a cautionary tale. During his first two years at BYU, Wilson was largely a nobody.
Then, his pro day happened, and his insane arm angles and ridiculous throws in a perfect, 70 degree indoor environment wowed many. He wowed the New York Jets enough to convince them to draft him second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
However, that pick has proven to be a colossal failure, and now the Jets have a loaded roster with no quarterback to direct them. I do think Wilson’s college career and perhaps his draft profile can serve as a cautionary tale for many who need a quarterback.
His NFL.com draft profile, authored by Lance Zierlein, offers some clues as to what teams should probably stay away from in a quarterback.
Zierlein uses phrases like “hero ball needs dialed back a bit,” “ill-advised throws under pressure…,” “level of competitive allowed for ‘bombs’ away’ mindset…,” “…improvised release points are clearly patterened off of one of his favorite players, Aaron Rodgers”
Zach Wilson was never going to make it in the NFL, and his draft profile all but proves it. He’s backyard-tackle-football-in-the-mud quarterback, and far from a league starter. What he excels at the most, the unorthodox arm angles and gunslinger mentality, are perhaps two things that a potential first round quarterback should not do well more than other qualities.
How about leadership? How about the ability to elevate teammates? Ability to throw with anticipation? Knowledge of the game? Did they play enough in college? Big-bodied? Can they throw on the run? Can they make all of the throws on a football field?
I’m not sure about other people, but if my quarterback’s best qualities are his off-schedule throws and crazy arm angles, I’m not sure I have a quarterback at all.