When the New York Jets decided to select BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, fans met the decision with mixed reactions. Some loved the pick and still view Wilson as the future under center for the franchise. Others immediately labeled the pick a bust and have been against Wilson from the very beginning of the season.
Of course, everyone knows that being an NFL quarterback in New York is no easy task. Plenty of players have come and gone and never lived up to their full potential. The pressure of playing in front of New York fans has ruined quite a few promising careers as well.
So far this season, Wilson has not played up to the level expected from a No. 2 overall pick. However, the expectations were way too high coming in for him. Wilson was never going to be a star right out of the gate and was also never going to lead the Jets back to playoff contention in Year 1.
Putting aside all of the fan opinions and expectations, Wilson has played in even games so far during his rookie year. He has completed 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,313 yards, four touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Wilson has also picked up 25 yards and a score on the ground.
At 22 years of age, Wilson has been receiving a ton of criticism for the numbers he has put up thus far. However, he is still the franchise quarterback moving forward at this point in time.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at three things we have learned about Zach Wilson so far through 12 weeks this season.
3 Key Observations On Jets Rookie Zach Wilson
3. The media and fans already want him to fail
As previously mentioned, playing in New York is no easy task. Even though he literally is the No. 2 overall pick and the future at quarterback for the Jets, fans and the media seem to want him to fail. How does that make any kind of sense?
Zach Wilson is 'back'pic.twitter.com/boEvLVSEtw
— Covers (@Covers) November 28, 2021
With a young quarterback, it is important to have support and a short memory. Doing those two things can be very difficult when everyone seems out to get you. Hopefully, the fans and media will not end up getting into Wilson's head and he can continue to develop at his own pace.
No matter what your thoughts on Wilson's first seven games are, the fact of the matter is that he is not going to be gone after just one season. Instead of criticizing his play, perhaps being a bit more supporting could help the team get better faster.
2. Zach Wilson's main issues are more than fixable
One of the hardest things to do when making the leap from college football to the NFL is read opposing defenses. Plenty of quarterbacks have had issues with that in their rookie years. In fact, Peyton Manning was criticized heavily for his inability to make the right reads during his rookie season and he ended that year with 28 interceptions.
The biggest issue that Wilson has right now is reading defenses and making the right decisions quickly. Those are things that he can learn from watching film and be taught by a good coaching staff. No one should be worrying that Wilson's issues are at his core and that he'll never improve.
Wilson simply needs to develop his craft and learn from his mistakes. Every single rookie quarterback is going to struggle and no one should look further than Manning and current No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence. Just because a player gets off to a rough start does not mean that they are a bust or will be a wasted draft pick.
Show off the moves then @ZachWilson!!#NYJvsHOU on CBS pic.twitter.com/zrMRymIpPF
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 28, 2021
1. His Passion for the game and aggressiveness bode well
Everyone will focus on his turnover numbers or the fact that he has only thrown four touchdown passes this season, but that isn't where the focus should be. How about fans start looking at the passion he clearly has for the game of football and the aggressiveness and confidence he has shown? Yes, some of that aggressiveness and confidence has resulted in a turnover or two, but that is more than acceptable for a rookie quarterback.
What would be even more concerning is seeing a No. 2 overall pick come in and play a timid brand of football. Or for a No. 2 overall pick to come in and show zero drive to improve or passion for the game.
Wilson has all of the tools to become a very good NFL quarterback in the future. A rough start is exactly that and no one should look further. The Jets have some work to do, but they are far from needing to consider labeling Wilson a bust.
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