NY Jets pass on Zach Wilson for a different QB 2021 NFL re-draft

A 2021 redraft has the NY Jets picking Justin Fields instead of Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick.

It's often futile to imagine what could have been, but one NFL writer thinks given each rookie's Year 1 performance, the Jets may be inclined to swap out Wilson for Fields.

Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton had Justin Fields going to the Jets in his redraft, claiming that Fields showed "more promising signs" under center for the Chicago Bears than Wilson did for the Jets.

"If the Jets pick Fields and start him in Week 1, he may see progress a little earlier in his rookie season...Fields, who ran for 420 yards and two touchdowns, can provide more with his legs than Wilson behind a shaky offensive line that allowed the fourth-most quarterback pressures per dropback (27.5 percent) in 2021."

Maurice Moton

Moton compares each signal-caller's last five starts, in which Fields may barely beat Wilson in terms of passing efficiency,

NY Jets pick Justin Fields over Zach Wilson in 2021 redraft

Fields threw for five touchdowns and four interceptions, recording 223 passing yards and a passer rating above 84.5 in three of those five starts.

Wilson threw for three touchdowns and went pick-free, but he completed fewer than 46 percent of his pass attempts in two games. He also recorded 170 or fewer passing yards in three of them. 

But both Fields' and Wilson's impacts go beyond the numbers, as each rookie's success hinges on how well each fits in his respective offensive scheme.

Moton notes that if Fields were picked by the Jets, he could do more harm on the ground with his dual-threat abilities, especially given the Jets' shaky offensive line.

But in the long term, that logic doesn't really make sense. New York isn't really a run-heavy team, and they chose Wilson to build around his strengths, mainly his long-range throws, vision, and accuracy.

Wilson arguably provides higher upside in his passing abilities, and New York will add reinforcements this offseason accordingly.

We wish the best of luck to Justin Fields, but we're sticking with Wilson.