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| Photo courtesy of Getty Images. |
Last night, after the usual months of talk and speculation that goes on prior to the draft, all of the guessing and predicting came to an end. With the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the New York Jets selected quarterback Zach Wilson from BYU, which is where a lot of people expected him to go--including myself after they traded Sam Darnold.
I was able to watch some of his games last year, and from what I saw, I liked the effortless way he quarterbacks the game. It's as if it comes naturally to him, he doesn't force the issue. He can make all the throws, he's accurate, he had great command of the huddle and the respect of his teammates--evidence of this is when a rumor came out about him being "entitled" and having "character issues"--which goes a long way.
Although I think Zach has more of a pocket presence, some of the things he did was Patrick Mahomes-like. I'm not saying he's on that level, but there were some plays he executed successfully that I've seen from Mahomes, and like Mahomes, they were done in an unconventional way that would make coaches livid if the average quarterback did that. I made this observation prior to reading an article where Wilson admits that he has studied Mahomes' game. On a side note, I'm not saying Mahomes doesn't have a good pocket presence, but I think he's more balanced and unconventional in the way he quarterbacks the game--and he does it effortlessly.
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| Zach's already connecting with the fans. Photo courtesy of AP. |
There has been questions about the level of competition he played, and I'll admit, initially, I had questions about it, too because there were very few teams they played that were ranked or at least had winning records. Then I realized he didn't pick or make the schedule, so it was not his or the team's fault, they did what they were supposed to do: take care of business.
Speaking of critics, I find it odd how months prior to the draft, he was America's Sweetheart, now suddenly as of last week, you had folks saying they "didn't like the smell of him," so to speak, people questioning how well he will adjust to the league, to the New York fan base. Minor reasons, though they may be in this case, stuff like this are some of the reasons why I don't like the mainstream media. They flip flop like a fish out of water, and they put a magnifying glass on these players, just looking for something wrong. If they can't find anything glaring, they will create something, and focus on that.
I call him "babyface" because of his youthful look (which he is 21). Not judging his looks in and of itself because I don't judge dude's looks, just saying that he looks younger than 21. All-in-all, I think he has everything one is looking for in a quarterback--the measurables and intangibles. If you want to be nitpicky, he doesn't have great size. At 6-3, around 210, he has decent size, but he doesn't have that 6-5, 230-240 pound frame that most coaches covet.
Despite the likes of quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence (drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars) and Justin Fields (drafted by the Chicago Bears) who played against stiffer competition in their respective divisions, as far as pure skillset, I think Zach is most NFL-ready out of all of them.
Grade: A+
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| Photo courtesy of Getty Images. |
Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC
Later in the first round, the Jets traded up to draft offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker. Having two first round picks, they swapped the 23rd overall pick with the Minnesota Vikings, who had the 14th overall pick.
I'll admit, I didn't know a lot about him, so I had to do some research. Judging from analysts and experts, he was expected to go around this point in the draft.. He made the All-Pac 12 First Team and won the Morris Trophy, which is an award for the best offensive lineman in the conference.
From what I've gathered, I like his versatility (he played guard in 2019, and tackle last year). He has the grit and aggression one seeks in an offensive lineman, is good in both pass and run protection, adjusts his body well to pass rushers, takes the right angles in double team blocks, and is relentless when he gets to the next level. The only issues I see are occasional lapses in his overall technique and he sometimes has issues when taking on two-gap defensive lineman (typically nose tackles) which both are an easy fix.
Although I wanted (running back) Najee Harris, and he was available whether the Jets picked him at No. 14 or if they stood pact and drafted him 23rd overall because the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him at No. 24. So, I don't hate or dislike the pick, he does address a need because aside from Mehki Becton, the Jets need help upfront.
Grade: A
Conclusion
As far as the trade goes, I was okay with it--not thrilled, but okay. I realize it was a top-15 pick, but I still think giving up that second third round pick was a bit much. All-in-all, I like the picks from (general manager) Joe Douglas. Of course, it's going to take a few years before we get any concrete results, but so far, so good.
First Round Grade: A
