Finding Broncos: Scouting BYU QB Zach Wilson
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, whom Denver Broncos' GM George Paton traveled to scout in-person at his pro day.
Measurables
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 210 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- His accuracy and placement are generally on-point
- Improved tremendously with his decision making from 2019 to 2020
- Stands tall in the pocket and doesn’t let the moment get too big for him
- Does a good job going through his reads in a timely fashion
- Will get to his check-down early if the read is favorable
- Has good mechanics and an excellent throwing motion
- Holds the ball and goes through his motion protecting it
- Near-elite ability to maneuver the pocket
- While his arm strength isn’t excellent, it is good enough for the NFL
- A smooth and fluid mover with good mobility to extend plays or pick up yards himself
- Leader on and off the field and teammates will unquestionably follow him
- Has a good base that he uses to help add velocity on his throws
Cons
- Has moments under pressure where he'll throw a poorly-placed ball
- His deep ball at times makes receivers ease up on the pedal to stay under it
- Didn’t deal with pressure a lot, and when he did,it was rough
- Played mostly easy competition and wasn’t really challenged
- Dealt with injuries that need to be vetted
- One-year wonder that really stepped up in a weird pandemic season
- Played in a very QB-friendly system which makes his transition to the NFL questionable
Overview
Wilson is a very good quarterback prospect, but there are going to be concerns about how little pressure he faced in college. The BYU offensive line was one of the best in the country and Wilson developed a lot of bad habits that he was able to get away with in college but likely won’t in the NFL.
He took a large jump from 2019, a season in which he dealt with injuries, and really rose up the draft boards this past year. The big question is going to be, how he can adapt to the pressure that will come in the NFL? And can those bad habits be broken?
If not, they'll be a death sentence for Wilson against a much tougher level of competition than he ever faced in college.
Fit with Broncos
The best fit for Wilson will be a scheme that will allow him to use his mobility, move the pocket, and limit the fields (though he is capable of reading a full defense) as it will help keep him on-tempo. However, he isn’t limited to such as scheme as he really has the traits to fit any offense, though some wouldn't offer as natural of a transition.
Wilson can work in the Pat Shurmur scheme that maximizes spacing for receivers and asks the quarterback to read the field and go through his progressions in a timely matter. Denver has an improving O-line that should help limit the number of pressures he faces, especially if the interior makes good progress.
Wilson’s own mobility can help there as well. Would Wilson-to-Denver be a match made in heaven? No, but it would be one that could work and work quite well.
Grade: Round 1
Where he Goes: Top-15
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