The devil you know …
Many New York Jets fans are waiting for general manager Joe Douglas to turn off quarterback Sam Darnold and use choice number 2 in the NFL’s 2021 Draft to select a new QB franchise.
No one will try to argue that Darnold lived up to the hype that came with him being the No. 3 choice in the 2018 NFL Draft.
But is Douglas sure that BYU’s Zach Wilson or Ohio State’s Justin Fields are much better than Darnold?
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network recently spoke to “veteran assessors across the NFL, from decision makers to scouts in the field.” From those conversations, here are some possible red flags about Wilson and Fields.
Wilson
Will your body handle it?
Wilson “has a history of injuries, including a torn labrum on his right (throwing) shoulder suffered in high school that required surgery after his freshman season in 2018; a torn labrum on his left shoulder he said that in 2019 he would eventually need surgery; and a fractured right thumb that required surgery and left him out for more than a month during the 2019 season. ‘Size and durability, ”said an NFC executive. ‘Can it last?’ “
What kind of leader will he be?
“It’s a little bit of Baker Mayfield syndrome, where do you like [the edge] to a certain extent, ”said an AFC executive. “It’s just whether or not you can control and follow the line.” Said an NFC executive from Wilson: “He was kind of hot-headed from the start. Were there any comments before he became a player about, did he become dear to his teammates? Kind of arrogant child, comes from money – what kind of leadership does he have? (But) this boy loves to play football. He’s a process addict, which I’m a big fan of. “
Fields
Is he ready for the NFL game?
“It’s all reading material in the field and making decisions, just speeding up the pace,” said an AFC scout. “He’s one of those pre-programmed guys: when it’s clean and everything is there, it’s easy for him. And he has a talent for the arm. It can rotate deeply. But it is more of a quick recognition and just seeing it. “
“It will only require a commitment to an offensive system that suits your qualities,” said an AFC executive. “Asking him to come back and read and go through progressions – you’re asking for disappointment.”
What kind of leader will he be?
“Everyone supports him in a good way, at least his teammates,” said a second NFC executive. “Not in the first year – he came a little stoic, he didn’t try to get to know his colleagues very well, he just wanted to win the job. But that has changed this year. They love him. They think he is a great leader and a great teammate. “
Wilson and Fields are expected to be the best defenders on the table when the Jets come in second overall, with the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Trevor Lawrence of Clemson with number one choice.
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