Can Zach Wilson keep up with his Jets classmates in his return?
Nothing has gone right for the Jets this season, but it is easy to understand why Robert Saleh is so excited about the young talent on this team.
Early returns on New York’s rookie class have been beyond encouraging. Alijah Vera-Tucker is already the Jets’ best offensive lineman, committing just four penalties and allowing only one sack in 673 snaps. Elijah Moore has quickly developed into one of the team’s most dangerous skill position players and just torched the Dolphins for eight catches, 141 yards and a touchdown. The same can be said about Michael Carter, who lead the Jets in scrimmage yards before landing on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Even Michael Carter II and Brandin Echols have delivered at times in the secondary.
Then there is Zach Wilson, the golden boy of the group. New York selected Wilson second overall with the hope that he could become its franchise quarterback after Sam Darnold failed. Wilson hasn’t inspired much hope early in his career, coupling inconsistent and turnover-prone play with a sprained PCL that kept him sidelined for nearly a month.
Carter, Moore and Vera-Tucker blossomed as Wilson watched from the sideline. Now the quarterback is set to return. Will Wilson be able to keep up with his rookie classmates when he takes the field against the Texans?
The first half of Wilson’s rookie season was not all bad. He carried the Jets to a stunning win over the Titans and occasionally flashed the arm talent that separated him from every quarterback in his draft class not named Trevor Lawrence. Bullets came flying out of Wilson’s hand from time to time, resulting in some impressive gains through the air.
Consistency and starting fast will dictate the kind of player Wilson is moving forward. His flashes of greatness came far and few in between, which is not what the Jets are looking for. They don’t need Wilson to play like a future Hall of Famer every single time he takes the field, but they do need him to play clean and efficient football. Likewise, New York’s offense struggled early in games before turning it on when it was too late in the second half with Wilson at the helm.
That too cannot continue to be the status quo.
“It’s about continuing to get comfortable early in games and let his athleticism take over and his arm talent take over, because he is a talented young man,” Saleh said Wednesday. “Just step up, get better and take it one play at a time.”
Can Wilson step up and make an impact like his classmates?
He has the talent to pull it off. It’s just a matter of executing at this point. If Wilson can do that, Saleh can get even more bullish about his group of rookies and the direction of his team despite being in the midst of a losing season.
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