3 first-round draft mistakes that continue to haunt the NY Jets

1. Zach Wilson, QB, NY Jets

It's obvious, isn't it? The current Jets regime has tied their present and future to a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles. They've reshaped their entire organization to satisfy said quarterback and have yet to even yield positive results from the acquisition.

Maybe Aaron Rodgers will shock the world and return to his MVP form in 2024, helping lead the Jets to the promised land, but that much remains to be seen.

Either way, it didn't have to be this way. The Jets were supposed to have their franchise quarterback of the future in Zach Wilson. He was the savior — the long-awaited top quarterback prospect who would finally reach his potential in New York.

Instead, he will likely go down as arguably the biggest draft bust in Jets history and one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. Not quite the same story.

Wilson started two seasons with the Jets, struggling to the point that his numbers resembled some of the most infamous draft busts in recent NFL memory. He returned as the expected backup in 2023 before being thrust into action following Rodgers' injury.

There is no future for Wilson in New York. There will be no redemption or salvation. The former BYU star is expected to be traded this offseason, and he'll hope to salvage some sort of NFL career with his new team.

The current Jets' regime has backed themselves into a corner. They've put all their eggs in the Rodgers basket, sacrificing parts of the franchise to make it happen.

Instead of building around a young, talented quarterback on a rookie contract, the Jets are in a tight cap situation with an aging question mark of a QB coming off a major injury — and they only have themselves to blame.