Former New York Jets First-Round Pick Predicted to Show He’s Not a ‘Bust'

The New York Jets former No. 2 pick is predicted to play better as he found a new home with the Denver Broncos in 2024.

Dec 17, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) drops / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

When the New York Jets drafted Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, there was hope that he'd be the franchise quarterback the team was looking for. Searching for a franchise talent, Wilson did everything but succeed during his time in East Rutherford.

In his three-year Jets career, the 24-year-old threw for 6,293 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions. Unfourtantelty, at no point in his three seasons, did he prove to be worthy of the No. 2 pick.

And in his defense, he didn't expect to play much last year. When Aaron Rodgers went down, the lights turned to Wilson, who, again, proved he couldn't handle it. Joe Douglas is just as much to blame for the disaster of the 2023 season as the Utah native clearly showed he wasn't ready to fill the role that an all-time great was expected to play.

New York traded Wilson this offseason to the Denver Broncos, a move that didn't come as a surprise to anyone. They traded Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round pick for a 2024 sixth-round pick, showing just how little value he had around the NFL.

Despite everything that's happened, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report believes the BYU product could lose the "bust" label this season for the Broncos. Kay wrote that he should get an opportunity to be the starter and highlighted the history Sean Payton has had with quarterbacks, most notably, Drew Brees.

From what he's shown at this point in his career, it's unlikely that Wilson ever becomes a player of Brees' caliber. However, perhaps he can turn it around and find success in Denver as they're desperate to find someone to do exactly that at the quarterback position.

If history repeats itself, it would be unsurprising to see Wilson succeed in a new environment. Playing for the Jets is a tough ask, one Wilson couldn't handle.