2021 NFL Draft: BYU quarterback Zach Wilson scouting report

Potential Draft Destinations for Wilson

We’ve explored Wilson’s background, his path to BYU and his upside as an NFL quarterback. We’ve also cataloged the flaws he’s shown on film and explored what things he will need to change once he is drafted. Next, we’ll explore three possible destinations for Wilson in the 2021 NFL Draft. We’ll explain why each one of these teams is a good fit for Wilson and reasons why these teams might be trepidatious about drafting the Utah native.

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New York Jets (second overall)

This is of course assuming the Jets trade quarterback Sam Darnold, which as of this publication is something that is only rumored to be in the works. Getting a young gunslinger like Wilson would be an incredible boon for the re-building Jets, as fresh blood in the quarterback room could change the entire culture in New York.

History shows bringing in a new quarterback with a new head coach can be advantageous for both parties. It would allow the coach to build an offense that accentuates Wilson’s strong points and give an understandably jaded fan base a new face to cheer for.

For Wilson, he’d be working under offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, brought over with Saleh when he left San Francisco. LaFleur has helped two quarterbacks make it to the Super Bowl, first in 2016 as an assistant for Atlanta and with the San Francisco 49ers as the passing game coordinator in 2019. LaFleur is a former quarterback himself and at 33-years-old would be a relatable position coach to the 21-year-old Wilson.

The biggest reason the Jets might want to pass on Wilson in the 2021 NFL Draft is that with the second overall pick, they will essentially have their pick of the litter when it comes to quarterbacks this year. There are a trio of more established quarterbacks in this year’s draft class that have been more consistent for longer than Wilson has been at BYU.

If the Jets draft Wilson, they would effectively be signing up to build an entire roster around a quarterback who played one really good season against FBS Independent teams. Not exactly the toughest competition in college football. It would require the general manager and head coach to bet their careers on a one-year quarterback, nevermind whatever fallout might happen if they let go of Darnold and he ends up succeeding somewhere else.

That is a lot of risk for a duo of professionals who have worked a combined 37 years in the NFL to get to this point. If they decide to draft Wilson in the 2021 NFL Draft, they will need to be sure that whatever wrinkles are in Wilson’s game can be ironed out once in the league.

Philadelphia Eagles (sixth overall)

Much like the Jets, this will depend on whether the Eagles find a trade partner for Carson Wentz before the 2021 NFL Draft. If so, the front-office in Philadelphia may consider drafting Wilson as their next franchise quarterback. This year will be the first time the Eagles have drafted in the top-five since they drafted Wentz in 2016. And despite a 4-11-1 record in 2020, a large percentage of the roster is still comprised of Super Bowl-winning veterans (at time of publication).

The Eagles have only drafted in the top-ten three times since 2000, making this year a prime time to pick up a new franchise quarterback. While the offensive line in Philadelphia has seen better days, the receiving corp is relatively young, having drafted three serviceable wide receivers in 2020. Considering the ups-and-downs (and drama) of the Wentz era in Philadelphia, this roster (combined with a new coaching staff) may respond well to a new face of the franchise.

The biggest impediment to the Eagles selecting Wilson in the 2021 NFL Draft? Just 2020 second-round quarterback Jalen Hurts. While the official party-line from the front office has been suspiciously pro-Wentz, the smart money is on Wentz being traded this offseason. Despite Hurts being a limited passer, he stepped in for a waning Wentz in 2020 and played well.

Sources told PhillyVoice that “The feeling…was that Hurts possessed superior leadership (compared to Wentz), a willingness to be coached (one source said he was in the coach’s offices so much they thought they had to get him a cot).”

Add to the equation that the Eagles brought in Brian Johnson to be their quarterback coach this offseason. Coach Johnson has a connection to Hurts going back to when the quarterback was four-years-old (Johnson was a player on the team coached by Hurts dad, according to NBC Sports). He tried to recruit Hurts in college and it’s pretty fair to assume he was brought in to develop Hurts for the team’s so-called “quarterback factory”.

It wouldn’t be impossible for Johnson to coach a quarterback like Wilson, as he does have similar quarterback skills to Hurts. But Johnson was the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators in 2020. A team that ranked as high as sixth in the AP poll last season, has gone 29-9 since Johnson joined in the staff and looks to be on the upswing in the SEC.

If the team were to use the sixth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Wilson, they would need to be sure that Hurts isn’t a long-term starter going forward. Based on the team’s interest in developing Hurts, there are better uses to the pick than another running quarterback with question marks.

Denver Broncos (ninth overall)

The Denver Broncos have been needing a stable quarterback in the pocket since 2015. Since Peyton Manning retired after Super Bowl 50, the Broncos have had a total of ten starting quarterbacks in six years. Quarterback Drew Lock looked promising after being drafted as a second-rounder in 2019.

But 2020 saw his star come back to earth, throwing 16 touchdowns to 15 interceptions (tied for worst in the NFL with Wentz), 19 sacks and a completion rate of just 57 percent, according to Pro Football Reference. A new, exciting college quarterback could bring the team together and set the tone that the team is headed for better days.

There is a lot of upside to Wilson falling to the Broncos in the 2021 NFL Draft. Despite going 5-11 in 2020, there are a lot of players on the Broncos offense and defense that are solid playmakers just waiting for a dynamic passer to take the reigns. They have a pair of talented running backs, a first-round, first-class wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy and a defense that still sports some big names.

Add to the fact the Broncos have a lot of cap space in 2021 and it’s possible the front office could try and build a solid roster around the young quarterback and attempt to compete in 2021.

Just as before though, there are plenty of reasons to excuse the Broncos not taking a quarterback in the first round. For starters, third-year head coach Vic Fangio has gone 12-20 since taking over the position in 2019. Despite being a successful defensive coordinator before coming to Denver, the Fangio-led Broncos ranked 25th in total defense last season.

This could very well be Fangio’s last chance to turn around the Broncos fortunes before bringing in a new coach. History has shown drafting a quarterback only to replace his head coach the next season does not work so well. Just ask Darnold in New York, who will be on his third head coach in 2021 (assuming he stays with the Jets).

The front office is letting Fangio run the show one more season, so they must believe 2020 deserves a mulligan, what with all the injuries and COVID-19 restrictions.

With a new general manager replacing Jon Elway, they may be looking to avoid the same mistakes Elway made. Namely, Elway playing musical chairs with the starting quarterback position every season since Manning left. A bit of continuity at the position might be what this team has been missing all along.