Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson Insanely Excited To Be Drafted By New York Jets
When the New York Jets took Garrett Wilson with the No. 10 overall pick in last month’s NFL Draft, he became the first Ohio State wide receiver to be selected in the first round in 15 years.
“It’s a feeling of insane excitement,” Wilson said during an interview with reporters that evening. “I went to New York for the first time ever about a month and a half ago, and here I am about to set some roots there. I’m really excited to be a part of the Jets.”
Even though Wilson was widely projected to end that streak, which dates back to when Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez went No. 9 and No. 32 overall in 2007, he wasn’t exactly sure where he would end up.
Most mock drafts had him coming off the board anywhere from No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons to the Houston Texans at No. 13. Not to mention, the wide receiver-needy New Orleans Saints ultimately traded up to No. 11 to take his teammate, Chris Olave, on draft night.
“You kind of go through the process and it’s a lot of the same vibe from different teams, so it’s hard to tell,” Wilson said. “I came into tonight not knowing where I was going to end up. I was so nervous. When I got that call, it was just a feeling of relief and excitement. I’m just so blessed. I was just really excited, but I can’t say I knew it was going to go like this.”
The Jets were widely considered the biggest winners of the draft after they selected Wilson, Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson II in the first round, Iowa State running back Breece Hall in the second round and former Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert in the third round.
Wilson is certainly happy happy to team up with Ruckert once again, but he’s also looking forward to going up against Gardner – who was a consensus All-American last season – every single day in practice.
“I feel like we’re both competitors and I can’t wait to match up at practice and get to work,” Wilson said. “It’ll be good for both of us. Iron sharpens iron. I know he’s a great player and I’m excited to come in with him and try to start this thing off on the right foot.”
The Jets haven’t been to the playoffs in 12 seasons, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010-11 AFC Championship Game. But Wilson believes they now have foundation to end that drought, too.
“I’m aware of the history, but I want to focus on what’s going to happen now and what’s going to happen this next season,” Wilson said. “We just got to try to put our best foot forward and build. That’s what I plan to do.”
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