The Jets’ quarterback plan came into focus on Friday through developments in Utah, California and Pennsylvania.
A Jets contingent of general manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur watched BYU quarterback Zach Wilson play all over a covered country house in Provo, Utah, as part of the professional day. school. Wilson is the favorite to be the team’s second overall choice and did nothing to change that perception in his shooting session.
The biggest leads came from what other teams possibly from the quarterback market did on Friday afternoon. First, the 49ers negotiated with the Dolphins to move up to third place in next month’s NFL 2021 Draft. The assumption is that the 49ers are moving up to a quarterback draft.
ESPN reported that the 49ers and the Jets were not involved in trade negotiations, but that may be because the 49ers already knew that the Jets are determined to catch Wilson.
The 49ers and Jets also have close ties to their technical teams, with Saleh and LaFleur coming from the 49ers. The likelihood is that the 49ers know what the Jets are thinking about in second place and made the switch knowing which defenders will be available in third place. Trevor Lawrence of Clemson is expected to be taken first overall by the Jaguars. Urban Meyer missed Wilson’s professional day, another indication that Lawrence is the Jacksonville guy.
The other exchange that took place on Friday was the Eagles returning from 6th to 12th place in an exchange with the Dolphins, who sent a pick they just picked up from San Francisco to Philadelphia. The NFL Network reported that the Eagles were interested in moving up to third place, but only for Wilson. The decision to return indicates that they know that Wilson will be the runner-up. Douglas worked for the Eagles for three years before being hired by the Jets.
All of this one-off connection leads to a conclusion: the Jets will draft Wilson No. 2 overall next month and replace Sam Darnold, except for something really unexpected.
The Jets first saw Wilson in person on Friday. He launched about 70 passes during the session and did not disappoint. He made some beautiful shots, one that stood out was a deep pass to the right while rolling to the left that showed remarkable arm strength.
“Today’s goal was to show what makes me different, the types of pitches I can make that I feel the other guys don’t practice and don’t try to make,” Wilson said in an interview with Zoom later. “That was today’s goal to show what makes me different.”
The NFL Network showed Wilson and Douglas talking after their shooting session. Wilson said he already talked to the Jets via Zoom and liked the staff.
“Excellent team, I love these guys. Joe Douglas is a great guy, ”said Wilson. “It was nice to see you here. They have a good thing going. My Zoom interactions with them have been like with any other team, just trying to move on and they just try to get your brain, see what you are, the way you process things and all that kind of stuff. It’s been good. “
Wilson said he has a family in the New York area and has been here several times. He said he would be happy to join any team that summons him.
Wilson is coming out of a monstrous 2020 season, when he made 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions. There are doubts about the level of competition he faced and why his statistics have not been better in the past two years.
The 21-year-old did not do any of the professional exercises because he said he pinched a hamstring a few weeks ago. The teams were not there to watch him run the 40-yard race, however. They wanted to see him shoot and he made a good showing.
“I feel that something that separates me is just my passion for the game,” said Wilson. “I really put a lot of time into what I do. Throughout all the years and stuff, I really dedicated my life to football. It’s crazy, you know, when people try to ask me what I do outside of football, football is really my life. It is like everything I have going on ”.