NFL Insider Reveals What Sets Zach Wilson Apart From Other Rookie Quarterbacks
To go second overall in the NFL draft, there's no question Zach Wilson has the skills to compete and excel at the next level.
What is it specifically about Wilson's game, however, that makes him worthy of being the franchise quarterback of the New York Jets?
In a recent interview with Jets Country, Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network recalled Wilson's "meteoric" rise. Even if the quarterback going No. 2 overall wasn't what Baldinger initially expected, it's his right arm that led to New York taking him early in the first.
"The first thing that jumps out in any game you watch is just elite arm talent," Baldinger explained. "I don't want to compare him to Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes because those guys are doing it, but you see that type of arm talent, you see a guy that can just put himself in any position and make these throws and it showed up in every game."
Baldinger spoke about how Wilson influenced other first-round quarterbacks—like Trey Lance and Justin Fields—to make certain throws during their pro days. As much as others at the position wanted to imitate him, there are some traits you simply can't teach.
"He got really good hands, good hands with the ball, he just looks really natural with it, Baldinger said. "And then his release is just exquisite. So that's what you see about him. You just see these crazy good throws that he makes in every single game. And just his ability just to handle the ball, whether it's out of shotgun, play action fakes, all that kind of stuff. You see that ability."
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Part of the battle for Wilson will be learning about his new NFL offense and opposing defenses that he'll be facing. That won't happen overnight, as someone like Baldinger is still learning about football as well.
To help him stay up to date with a game that's constantly evolving, Baldinger is working with CoachTube.com, a portal that provides coaching courses for a variety of sports. With several football coaching and evaluation videos on CoachTube, Baldinger finds himself learning more about the game he loves on a daily basis.
"Everybody sees it differently, coaches it differently," Baldinger said. "So it's really a way for any fan, at any level, to really get a better understanding of the game. And I think that it can be a complicated game, but there are certain people that really can explain it well and put it in simple terms without getting carried away with a lot of terminology and stuff like that."
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