Zach Wilson Declares for the NFL Draft
Zach Wilson has officially declared for the NFL Draft. Wilson is the third junior to declare for the draft in as many days for BYU.
Wilson is coming a a historic season for BYU - he broke various single-season records that might never be broken. Here is how his 2020 campaign compares to former BYU great quarterbacks:
These stats are courtesy of cougarstats.com
Completion percentage (minimum 100 attempts)
Zach Wilson broke a BYU record for completion percentage in 2020 - he completed 73.4% of his passes. Steve Young held the previous record of 71.3% for 37 years. Wilson was only the second quarterback in BYU's illustrious QB history to complete more than 70% of his passes during a season.
Yards per attempt (minimum 100 attempts)
Zach Wilson averaged 11 yards per attempt. That ranks second behind only Ty Detmer in 1989 who averaged 11.1 yards per attempt. Think about that for a minute - Zach Wilson nearly broke the record for highest completion percentage and most yards per attempt in the same season. For comparison, Ty Detmer completed 64% of his passes in 1989 when he averaged 11.1 yards per attempt.
If you put those two numbers together, Zach Wilson just completed the most efficient season of any quarterback in BYU history. His QB efficiency rating was 196.9. Jim McMahon held the previous record of 176.87 for 30 years. Zach Wilson's new record surpassed the previous record by such a large margin that it might never broken.
Passing yards
Zach Wilson threw for 3,692 yards in 2020, that ranks #16 in BYU history. Ty Detmer holds the current record - 5,188 yards in 1990 - a record that will likely never be broken.
Touchdown passes
Wilson threw 33 touchdowns in 2020 which is tied for fifth in single-season BYU history.
TD/Int Ratio
Gifford Nielsen set the BYU TD/Int ratio in 1977 when he threw for 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions (5.33 TD/Int). Zach Wilson shattered Nielsen's record that stood for 43 years. Wilson threw for 33 touchdowns and 3 interceptions for a TD/Int ratio of 11. Wilson lapped a 43 year old record.
Wilson is a consensus first-round pick. Here are some of the the latest mock draft projections for Zach Wilson:
Round: 1
Pick: 2
Team: New York Jets
Commentary: "Zach Wilson will likely start to distance himself as the No. 2 quarterback in this class after his latest performance. A fresh start is in the best interest of New York and Sam Darnold."
Round: 1
Pick: 15
Team: New England Patriots
Commentary: "It's amazing the Patriots won six out of 14 games so far this season. How ineffectual must backups Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer be, if Cam Newton, who's tossed 10 interceptions to just five touchdown passes is still starting? Once long ago, before Tom Brady ruled in the Patriots' kingdom, New England drafted a quarterback in the first round (Drew Bledsoe - 1993). He, too, once led New England to a Superbowl and if given the opportunity maybe Zach Wilson could do the same. An athletic, scrambling passer with an ability to throw accurately on the run, Wilson may be the tonic for the Patriots' offensive woes."
Round: 1
Pick: 6
Team: Atlanta Falcons
Commentary: "Matt Ryan could be on borrowed time with the Atlanta Falcons since they are bringing in a new coach. It won’t be easy to say goodbye to a player who is a stat machine but will be 36-years of age in 2021 and that might be a hard sell for a new coach — especially with the prospects of someone like Zach Wilson available.
Here, they grab Wilson as they decide to start building for the future. There will be a lot of changes in the coming years for the Dirty Birds, but they at least land a quarterback who can lead them for the next 10-plus seasons."
Round: 1
Pick: 12
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Round: 1
Pick: 11
Team: Detroit Lions
Commentary: "Could the Lions actually move on from Matthew Stafford in 2021? With a new GM and head coach coming in, Stafford’s time in the Motor City could be coming to an end as they replace him with a younger gunslinger. Enter Zach Wilson, the junior quarterback out of BYU. Wilson is an athletic quarterback who uses great footwork and pocket awareness to extend plays. He has decent arm strength but has excellent ball placement and puts just enough touch on his deep balls. If the Lions are looking for a fresh start, Wilson is a good starting spot for their new regime."
Round: 1
Pick: 4
Team: Carolina Panthers
Commentary: "Wilson has had an exceptional season with his accuracy and downfield passing to quickly emerge as a threat to be the third QB off the board after Lawrence and Fields. Teddy Bridgewater has fared pretty well as the bridge QB in Carolina, but there's also an indication they have a limited ceiling with him and should think about replacing him by 2022 with a longer-term solution. Wilson would be a strong, cerebral fit for Joe Brady's offense."
Round: 1
Pick: 2
Team: New York Jets
Commentary: "No need to overthink this. Sure, Sam Darnold could turn things around next season after an injury-plagued Year 3 that’s seen him earn a 52.7 passing grade so far. But why take that chance when you have to immediately pay him if he does? Wilson is uber-talented, and he has tape that’s littered with special throws."
Round: 1
Pick: 4
Team: Carolina Panthers
Commentary: "In April, the Panthers used every pick at their disposal on a defender. That will not be the case this year, as head coach Matt Rhule is in prime position to draft his quarterback of the future."
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