Jets select BYU QB Zach Wilson with second overall pick in 2021 NFL Draft

The Jets selected BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the second overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, making official what’s been expected for quite some time.

With Trevor Lawrence going first off the board to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jets had their choice of top quarterback prospects like Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Trey Lance, but Gang Green has put its faith in the 21-year-old native of Draper, Utah.

Wilson was linked to general manager Joe Douglas and the Jets throughout the draft process, and once the Jets traded Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers on April 5, it became all but set in stone that Wilson would be the Jets’ next quarterback.

Checking in at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds at his official medical evaluation in Indianapolis earlier this month, Wilson wowed at his Pro Day by showing off his athleticism and elite arm talent, putting his best foot forward for teams hoping to find the next Patrick Mahomes-type quarterback.

Wilson’s rise toward the top of the draft was meteoric, as he took a huge leap forward in his junior year with the Cougars. 

After throwing for 2,382 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a sophomore, he lit up opposing defenses as a junior to the tune of 3,692 passing yards, 33 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and 254 rushing yards with 10 more touchdowns on the ground.

When Douglas spoke to reporters last week, he obviously didn’t come out and say that Wilson would be the Jets’ pick, but he did speak about the traits the team was looking for in a young quarterback, and Wilson appears to fit the bill perfectly.

“Obviously scheme fit is important,” Douglas explained. “There’s so many traits you look for. Like you guys have heard me say, it’s the most important position in sports and there’s a lot that goes into it. Obviously, there’s the physical traits that go into it — the arm talent, the athleticism.

“Then there’s the intangible traits. The intelligence, the leadership, the mental toughness, the physical toughness. There’s really so many traits that goes into every quarterback evaluation and ultimately those traits are so important in determining a quarterback’s success.”

RALPH'S REACTION

The long-awaited arrival of a franchise quarterback would normally be treated with nothing but excitement – and inside the Jets organization the excitement is definitely there.

But outside there still is a bit of a sense of: Here we go again.

As expected, the Jets took Wilson with the second overall pick – a move that had been telegraphed for months and was cemented the moment they traded Darnold to the Panthers a few weeks back. The Jets have now drafted a quarterback in the Top 3 twice in four years – a first since the NFL’s merger in 1967. He’s also the 11^th quarterback they’ve drafted in the first or second round since their last Super Bowl appearance in 1969.

So yes, they’ve been there, done that. That’s why what Jets fans really want to know is this: Why is this any different?

Unfortunately, that answer is unknown and may be unclear for at least a couple of years. What is known is that NFL scouts love what they saw in Wilson as a junior last season. They consider him a terrific example of a modern NFL quarterback who has a strong arm, can create plays outside the pocket, and can throw from a variety of arm angles and positions.

All that worked great for him at BYU, albeit against some pretty mediocre competition. The Jets’ hope, obviously, is that his skills are good enough to work in the NFL, too. They probably are, as long as they give him the kind of offensive line and array of offensive weapons that any young quarterback will need to succeed.