Pundits and Fans Swoon over Zach Wilson Pro Day, Assume He's Lock for Jets
There is an old saying about the definition of insanity.... It means doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.
Now, imagine being a Jets fans and hoping to get what many consider one of the top quarterback's in the draft.
You look at his college stats and see he had one 'ok year' and one 'really good year.'
He's got a good arm.
People praise him for his football IQ.
And on his pro day he wows people with his arm strength on a rollout, where he has to set his feet and throw across his body downfield.
Sound familiar?
It should, because I am talking about Sam Darnold. Yeah, the same guy Jets fans can't wait to toss to the corner like a pair of worn sneakers.
Back in 2018, Sam Darnold was the "can't miss" quarterback prospect. Every pundit on the planet felt Darnold was going to turn heads in the NFL. Mike Francesa said he would own New York. Colin Cowherd praised him as "thick, trunky and a born again leader."
We heard it all. The Jets fell in love. Then GM Mike Maccagnan made Darnold the center piece of his draft; the kind of player that would set the standard for the Jets for years to come.
Well, as all know Maccagnan is gone. Another GM who drafted a quarterback high in the draft for the Jets who wound up losing his job. Current General Manager Joe Douglas now finds himself in a similar spot.
Douglas, Head Coach Robert Saleh and Offensive Coordinator Mike LaFluer were all in attendance on Friday in Utah to watch the latest "can't miss" prospect, Zach Wilson, at his pro day. Pro days are what they are, they give you a glimpse of the players arm talent, but that's about it. It doesn't tell the entire story -- game film will do that more than anything.
Wilson had some good throws, other throws he missed on, and of course, he had that one spectacular throw on the rollout that had heads turned. It doesn't mean he will turn into the hybrid version of Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes that people keep comparing him to. It also doesn't mean he will be terrible. Pro days are what the are.
Yeah, I can picture the conspiracy theory meme already.
If the theories are correct, and the Jets are indeed drafting Wilson second overall, then they better get this right.
Douglas did Darnold no favors the past two years. He turned a really bad offensive line constructed by Mike Maccagnan, and turned it into an even worse offensive line (sans for the left tackle). He stripped the Jets down the past year and made it pretty obvious the Jets were tanking in 2020. They almost did, before before beating the Rams and Browns in Weeks 15 and 16.
This year's free agent haul saw Douglas add more depth pieces than impact players; they didn't even address their offensive line woes, something they have to do now in the draft. And the fans expect this team to be better with Zach Wilson rather than Darnold? I'll stop laughing for second.
Drafting Zach Wilson doesn't guarantee anything except another year of rebuilding. Another year of "wait and see;" another year of hoping for better days ahead. The Jets can't keep running this strategy back every two to three years. For once they need to show some intestinal fortitude and worry more about building around the quarterback position to make it better.
Sam Darnold is not Tom Brady. We get it. He's not even Josh Allen. We get that too. But he's going to be 24 next season, and he is still worth salvaging in the right system. Many believe that the offense LaFluer runs is perfectly suited for Darnold's skills set. Instead the Jets and Darnold appear headed for divorce, even though the trade market for him continues to dwindle by the day.
It's a shame. But it's the product of insanity. It's the Jets way.
For Zach Wilson's sake, if he does become a New York Jet, here's hoping he doesn't find himself on the Jets fans chopping block in two years with another GM.
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