Once again, the New York Jets will have an opportunity to change the losing fortunes of their franchise. Now they are banking their hopes on BYU quarterback Zach Wilson to become the guy that can reverse those years of bad luck. It is not an absolute lock that the Jets will select Wilson with the second overall pick, but all signs are pointed in that direction.
After Wilson’s impressive pro day, the Jets decided to move on from the former third overall pick in the 2018 draft in Sam Darnold by trading him to the Carolina Panthers.
In return, the Jets received Carolina’s sixth-round selection in the 2021 draft and will receive the second and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft. Based on the transaction of trading Darnold to Carolina, the Jets are projected by many draft experts to select the highly talented QB out of BYU.
In a matter of months, Zach Wilson went from being a quarterback that would be taken late in the first round of this year’s draft by teams such as the Saints to a highly coveted top-five pick. It was only a matter of time until mainstream media and teams needing a fresh start at quarterback would start to notice Wilson’s skill set and how those traits could be utilized at the professional level.
Wilson would gain more notoriety from viewers when BYU’s late-night games would be shown to a national audience. During the games that were shown, Wilson would make a few throws that would remind folks of Patrick Mahomes.
Like Mahomes, Wilson can get out of the pocket and make defenses have fits with his mobility. However, what will separate Wilson from Mahomes is that the standout BYU star is not going to a franchise that has a recent history of winning and is quarterback friendly. For whatever reason, the Jets front office tends to address one side of the team, which is the defense but has failed to build a formidable offense.
The days of winning championships with a subpar performance at QB while the defense is on an elite level are fading away fast. Every once and a while, a team may go on a deep run during the playoffs. But in the long run, the quarterback position will be the way to build an NFL franchise properly. The Jets’ current General Manager Joe Douglas seems to have that type of thinking regarding building a team around a young quarterback. Due to prior transactions such as trading star safety, Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks, New York has received tons of draft capital to rebuild their franchise.
New York Jets 2021 NFL Draft Picks
Illustration by the New York Jets.
Douglas and the Jets front office must make it a priority to make wise decisions when building a competitive team around Wilson. Despite the options that the Jets may have with the other picks in this year’s draft, Wilson must overcome a culture that has been filled with losing.
Wilson’s upside is through the roof, but he must perform above and beyond to reverse the misfortunes that have plagued the Jets franchise. New York has a plethora of picks in the 2021 NFL Draft and has an opportunity to build an efficient team around a gifted quarterback. They cannot mess this up once again.
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