Deebo Samuel reveals NY Jets star is favorite non-teammate player in NFL

While ageless star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and second-year phenom defensive back Sauce Gardner are going to be the main attractions for the NY Jets, it would be a genuine shame if the stellar play of emerging No. 1 wide receiver Garrett Wilson flew under the radar as a result.

Wilson, the No. 10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft right after Gardner went off the board, topped 1,100 yards as a rookie despite the worst quarterback situation in the league. That production has earned him praise from far and wide across the NFL. Even the San Francisco 49ers have taken notice.

Deebo Samuel, who was linked to a trade to the Jets long ago before Wilson became the pick, has already singled out Wilson as his favorite player in the league who is not on the 49ers during an appearance on "Up and Adams" with Kay Adams.

Samuel called Wilson, whom he met through his marketing team last season, a "real cool dude" before praising how he plays the game. This may have been tough to hear for Jets guard Laken Tomlinson, who helped block for the famously versatile Samuel during his tenure with the 49ers.

Deebo Samuel praises NY Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson

Wilson is in line to be the No. 1 receiver for the Jets this season, and he could put up numbers that easily eclipse Samuel's totals. With Allen Lazard likely the team's No. 2 receiver and Aaron Rodgers at the sticks, Wilson will likely have a ton of balls coming his way early in the campaign.

While Wilson isn't carrying the ball like Samuel, he will be trusted to win on shorter routes, secure third-down catches, and win jump balls in the end zone like San Francisco asks of the former South Carolina star. Time will tell if he ends up delivering on that in his second season.

Wilson wasn't used as a downfield threat very often last season due to the limitations in the passing game, but that could all change now that Rodgers is in town and Zach Wilson is on the bench. At Ohio State, Wilson was one of the best vertical threats in the country and Justin Fields' top target.

If Wilson ends up playing a prominent role on a Rodgers-led Jets team that reverses this team's lack of postseason success and wins some big games, the Garrett Wilson fan club in the league will only continue to grow.