Zach Wilson struggled in his rookie year. He threw nine touchdowns for 2,334 yards and completed 55% of his passes. But that hasn’t deterred his new teammates from seeing the young quarterback’s successes.
Game recognizes game.
And Wilson’s game last season featured outstanding arm strength paired with good mobility to improvise off script. The abilities he displayed in year one outweighed the worrisome raw numbers for free agents.
The most impressive review of the 2021 No. 2 overall pick came from former Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead, who played against Wilson in Week 17 of the season.
“When we were playing them, you can see he had that arm, he could throw the ball, then he could run the ball,” said Whitehead, who the Jets acquired on a two-year deal on March 15. “I just know it’s harder for a defense to get ready for a quarterback who is mobile and who has a great arm.”
It was arguably Wilson’s best game. His starting receiving corps was injured with Elijah Moore, Corey Davis and Jamison Crowder out.
But Wilson threw for 234 yards with one touchdown as Wilson sliced the Buccaneers defense up throwing to backups in Braxton Berrios, Keelan Cole and Jeff Smith.
If not for a failed fourth down QB sneak from Wilson, it would have been the biggest NFL upset of the year.
That afternoon was not lost on Whitehead, who remembered a specific, jaw dropping 21-yard throw in the third quarter to Cole.
“I was in a red zone and I was in a post,” Whitehead explained. “They ran a dig and a post. I jumped the dig, I was hesitant. I kind of waited for the dig and it was open. It was about to be open and I jumped it and didn’t even think the post was going to be coming because the corner was inside.
“And he threw that ball over top two linebackers and in between me and the corner,” Whitehead continued. “That guy got a lot of arm accuracy, a lot of arm strength and just trusting his ability to squeeze that ball in there just shows the type of quarterback he is.”
The Jets also nabbed two tight ends who produced career years during the 2021-22 season, former Bengal C.J. Uzomah and former Viking Tyler Conklin.
Conklin admitted he was already a fan of Wilson coming out of BYU.
“Coming out of college, I really liked Zach. Coming into free agency. I think one of the big things I wanted was to be with a young quarterback,” Conklin said. “Especially him with his arm talent, mobility, and just all the things I’ve heard about from players and coaches, about how he approaches the game just seemed like a perfect fit. And I’m excited to go help him with whatever he needs to grow.”
And Uzomah spent time around young QBs Joe Burrow and Andy Dalton during his tenure in Cincinnati. He witnessed Burrow and Dalton guide the Bengals to a divisional title and watched Burrow lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl. So Uzomah knows what a young and talented QB looks like.
“I think he’s a great talent man. He was a rookie last year. He’s gonna make huge strides this year,” Uzomah said. “And I’m hoping that I can be kind of a crutch for him if he needs anything if he wants anything. And hopefully I can be a security blanket for him on the field as well. So yeah, I think I think he’s an incredible talent and he’s just gonna grow.”
