NY Jets: The Zach Wilson era has officially arrived in New York

The NY Jets found their quarterback of the future when they drafted Zach Wilson second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

At least we all hope that's true.

Over the past few seasons, if you've been the starting quarterback for the Jets, you typically haven't stayed long enough to collect a pension. Instead, the job security rivals that of a temp agency that's always looking for work.

Since 2000, the Jets have had 16 different starting quarterbacks. Comparatively, the Green Bay Packers have had two quarterbacks in that timeframe, if you don't count Rodgers resting or getting injured.

Now that Zach Wilson has arrived in New York, the Jets don't want to see an 18th starting quarterback anytime soon. They would much rather prefer that Wilson is their guy for the next decade.

How feasible that actually is, however, nobody knows.

Zach Wilson gives the NY Jets new hope

If you were to tell Jets fans prior to the 2020 NFL season that Zach Wilson would be their starting quarterback in 2021, they would have laughed. They probably wouldn't have even known the player's name and definitely wouldn't be calling him the future star of the franchise.

Joe Burrow, the eventual first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was on nobody's radar in 2019. Jake Fromm, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jacob Eason were all seen as potential selections for the first quarterback taken, but because of Burrow's unbelievable season at LSU, he skyrocketed to No. 1 overall.

Although he suffered a gruesome injury in his rookie season and Herbert established himself as the best rookie quarterback, the Cincinnati Bengals wouldn't change their pick if they could.

In 10 starts, he threw for 2,688 yards, 13 touchdowns, only five interceptions, and is clearly one of the best young talents in the NFL.

The emergence of Burrow should make Jets fans very optimistic if they had any concerns about Wilson in the first place. It's easy to criticize him because of his young appearance and the fact that he played at a small school, but his talent should overcome any of those criticisms.

There's a reason why Wilson was drafted second overall and a reason why the Jets were so interested in him. His game fits new offensive coordinator, Mike LaFleur's system perfectly and his talent could end up making him the best player in his draft class.

Not only is Wilson a mobile quarterback who can escape the pocket, but his arm strength is world-class. He can throw the deep ball just as well as anyone, but can also throw into a tight window which is so important in the NFL.

Here's how Drae Harris of The Draft Network described his game:

"Zach Wilson plays the game with good athleticism overall, as evidenced by his ability to escape and evade pressure both in and out of the pocket. This athleticism makes him a viable threat in the zone-read, giving opponents another thing to defend. In the passing game, he has made tremendous strides since the 2019 season. Some of these feats are “rare.” In fact, his ability to throw the ball with timing and anticipation is elite. His production in the clutch has been money in several instances in 2020. He plays with the poise and moxie reminiscent of a high NFL draft pick."

- Drae Harris, The Draft Network

It's definitely not a lock that Wilson steps into the NFL and becomes a Pro Bowl quarterback immediately, but he has all of the attributes to eventually become that.

Sure, the last rookie quarterback, Sam Darnold didn't work out in New York, but he also didn't have the offensive line, offensive weapons, and stable coaching that Wilson currently has.

At this point, there's no reason to believe that Wilson won't excel in New York and Jets fans can finally feel good about buying a starting quarterback's jersey without it going out of style in three years.