Zach Wilson talking to former Jets QBs about New York
Wilson #Wilson
While the Jets do their homework on Zach Wilson, the BYU quarterback is doing his homework on the Jets.
Wilson’s personal quarterback coach, John Beck, told NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala that Wilson reached out to three former Jets passers this spring: Chad Pennington, Josh McCown and Mark Sanchez. Wilson wanted to gauge their experiences, glean knowledge about the organization and get a preview of the environment he could be drafted into in New York.
Smart moves for someone likely to become the Jets’ fourth first-round quarterback in the past 21 drafts. The Jets took Pennington 18th overall in 2000 and traded up to select Sanchez in 2009. Pennington played eight years in New York, while Sanchez lasted only four. Those two should especially be able to help Wilson understand both the pressures of playing in New York and of being a first-round pick. Wilson, however, would be the highest pick of them all.
McCown only played with the Jets for two seasons, but his 17 years of NFL experience should give Wilson a better understanding of the league as a whole. He played a crucial role in mentoring Sam Darnold as a rookie. McCown is currently a free agent after spending some time with the Texans last season.
Sanchez told the Pat McAfee Show on Friday the meeting with Wilson happened because he talked to Beck about setting up a time for Wilson to break down game film with Steve Young for a video series. During that process, Sanchez said he and Wilson started talking about the New York media market, which Sanchez explained would be good and bad depending on the choices Wilson makes.
“It’s an unforgiving media. It is a difficult market,” Sanchez said he told Wilson. “It can be a great market but you just have to understand in some ways you’re playing with fire. So you just have to be careful of what you say or don’t say. And then at the end of the day, no matter what you do… either way, you’re going to get criticized from people who disagree with what you did.”
Wilson has only lived and played in the state of Utah, so there have been questions about how he’ll fare under the bright lights of New York and New Jersey. Talking with three former players who’ve had varying degrees of success there should help him understand what he’s getting himself into if the Jets take him second overall.
MORE:
Robert Saleh didn’t have to set such lofty expectations for Jets offense
Ex-Jets DL Leger Douzable praises Robert Saleh: ‘He’s the right guy’
Ex-Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum recalls Nick Mangold falling in 2006 draft
2021 NFL draft: Dan Orlovsky thinks Jets should take Zach Wilson second overall
Did Robert Saleh hint at more additions to the defensive line?