National Football League

Zach Wilson: The forgotten man of the 2021 QB class

Published May. 18, 2022 8:07 p.m. ET

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By Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Columnist

Out of the five first-round quarterbacks that came bustling into the National Football League last year, Zach Wilson was sometimes the forgotten man.

Trevor Lawrence was always going to grab the attention that comes with being the No. 1 pick. Even when he wasn’t playing, Trey Lance’s situation grew in intrigue as the San Francisco 49ers couldn’t make their mind up whether they liked Jimmy Garoppolo, or not.

In New England, Mac Jones teased optimism in a position that will always be scrutinized because of its longtime former occupant, while Justin Fields mixed excellence with ignominy as the Chicago Bears suffered through another strange and futile season.

Wilson had a forgettable start on what swiftly got correctly labeled as a forgettable team, caught up in just one more doomed New York Jets campaign that passed by without significant notice outside of the Big Apple.

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And yet, as Year 2 approaches for a collection of sophomores that no longer quite have the same sheen attached to them as they did when forming a much-vaunted, pre-draft group of five, Wilson might just have the most to look forward to once on-field hostilities get underway again.

The Jets didn’t hold back when it came to making offensive upgrades, using a combination of acquisitions and draft picks to give Wilson an appetizing array of pieces around him.

Elijah Moore, Corey Davis and 2022 No. 10 pick Garrett Wilson form a youthful group of receivers worth watching. Michael Carter and Breece Hall are expected to be a solid running duo, while tight ends C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Conklin were added to provide Wilson flexibility. A strengthened offensive line should also make the QB’s life considerably more enjoyable.

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"I think when you break it down to keeping the main things the main things, it’s going to be about developing and helping our young quarterback," Jets general manager Joe Douglas told reporters.

It would be wrong to suggest the Jets loved everything they saw from Wilson in 2021. Not with a team record of 4-13, not with Wilson tossing just nine touchdowns - although he did have a quirky stat of seeing six throws stopped within the 1-yard line. Not with him making the kind of mistakes you would expect from a 21-year-old with limited college experience.

However, for what it’s worth, New York is not going to follow the same path that it did after picking Sam Darnold at No. 3 in 2018, which was essentially to throw Darnold to the wolves and bring in virtually nothing of serviceable assistance.

"That’s a mistake they can’t afford to make with Wilson," wrote Mark Cannizzaro in the New York Post.

Either way, optimism is rising among Jets fans. The moves made this offseason have been well-received. Improvement is coming, although the bar should be set within realistic parameters, especially without a winning season since 2015, no playoff appearances since 2010, and no AFC East titles since 2002.

For any of those streaks to end this year, the Jets will need Wilson, who bulked to 210 pounds over the past few months, to strike up a positive connection with his boosted offense.

The oddsmakers are not entirely sold, with New York a whopping +1800 to win the division and +10,000 for the Super Bowl. Being in the same division as the Buffalo Bills isn’t exactly seen as a good thing these days.

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Furthermore, the Jets have a schedule that will test their defensive limits. They plucked cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner with the No. 4 pick, but it is worth noting that in six of their first 10 games, Wilson will see these guys on the opposite sidelines: Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Josh Allen.

The hope is that before too long, Zach Wilson will be a name – and the Jets' offense will be a unit – that causes other teams some trepidation before they face them, too.

"There’s little things that he’s doing where you’re seeing a little more security," head coach Robert Saleh told reporters. He’s not a rookie, so he’s being a little more vocal. He looks good. He’s getting more comfortable, obviously grasping the offense. He’s never had trouble grasping the offense, but he was a rookie so he goes through it. He’s much further ahead at this point than he was a year ago, for sure."

Truthfully, he will need to be. The Jets, years deep in disappointment, made a bold move to ride with Wilson and arguably just as big a move to put pieces around him. A big gamble is underway, but the Jets think they have a winning hand.

As a result, Wilson will begin the season in a rare spot for a Jets QB in modern times – with genuine expectation on his shoulders.

Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

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National Football League

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Colin Cowherd

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