Is Zach Wilson the new Paxton Lynch? NFL Pro Day performance shows similarities
New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson put on a show on his NFL Pro Day before the 2021 NFL Draft and it raised his draft stock quite significantly. It culminated in him being drafted with the second overall pick, but the former BYU quarterback has yet to live up to the hype.
Another player who looked extremely good on his Pro Day many years ago was former Denver Broncos first-round pick Paxton Lynch. He was the 26th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and while he looked great on his pro day, his football career has been a total disaster.
Both Wilson and Lynch surprised many with incredible throws and athleticism in their Pro Days, which attracted NFL teams' interest but they failed to play well when called upon.
Lynch played just two seasons in the NFL for the Denver Broncos and hasn't been in the league since then. In those two seasons, Lynch played in five games, throwing for 792 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions.
On a windy day in Memphis - Paxton lynch let it rip..big arm and improved footwork = 1st rd https://t.co/saGTMIUBaV
Meanwhile, Zach Wilson is launching bombs at his pro day. This throw across his body on the run.
https://t.co/wfcARGc8K9
.@PaxtonLynch LAUNCHED this perfectly placed deep ball at his pro day.
"That's a showoff throw right there." snpy.tv/23bYX38
In comparison, Zach Wilson has played 21 games for the New York Jets in two seasons, in which he has thrown for 4,022 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
A few days ago, Paxton Lynch became the first quarterback in the history of football to be benched in the NFL, USFL, CFL, and the XFL after he got benched by the Orlando Guardians against the Houston Roughnecks.
Wilson was also benched by Mike White last season and is unlikely to start next season as well. The Jets QB wouldn't want to have the same career as Lynch, but if he doesn't improve quickly, things might get ugly.
New York Jets are not losing hope in Zach Wilson
Although Zach Wilson has been pretty disappointing for the New York Jets, the franchise is still not losing hope in him. They are expected to bring in a veteran quarterback for next season, but they want Wilson to develop under him.
Jets have big hopes for Derek Carr, via @diannaESPN https://t.co/2fXEC6JXjx
The Jets are likely to land either Aaron Rodgers or Derek Carr, both of whom will make the team a dark horse contender next season, and will help their former second-overall pick as well.
Wilson has faced a lot of scrutiny in just two seasons in New York and while many have lost faith in him, the franchise has hope that he will eventually come good. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Zach Wilson.