Zach Wilson struggled in his first training camp practice with the NY Jets.
Zach Wilson, NY Jets, Training Camp, Getty Images

Zach Wilson has plenty of rust to shake off

Zach Wilson made his long-awaited training camp debut with the New York Jets on Friday, but it did not exactly go swimmingly. The rookie – who performed very well during OTAs – had a rough practice to kick off camp.

Before things went downhill, Wilson got off to a great start. He found Elijah Moore on a deep bomb that seemed to be beautifully thrown.

That play did not turn out to be a sign of things to come.

Marcus Maye would later snatch an interception off of a Wilson pass that was intended for Jamison Crowder.

A few more incompletions rolled in for Wilson, including some almost-interceptions.

Wilson had a miscommunication to begin a team session, which is the type of mishap you would expect from a starting quarterback who is throwing his first passes after missing the first two practices of camp.

It could take a few days for Wilson to get back into the groove with his new teammates.

Wilson was nearly picked on a play where he took pressure.

There is a good chance that the pressure came courtesy of Carl Lawson, who has reportedly been shredding Mekhi Becton throughout the early goings of training camp. The losses should be a great experience for the young Becton – iron sharpens iron.

Wilson misfired high to Chris Herndon, who stands at 6-foot-4.

Javelin Guidry had tight coverage against Crowder to force another Wilson incompletion. Guidry is competing with rookie cornerback Michael Carter II for the Jets’ starting slot cornerback role.

DJ Bien-Aime of the New York Daily News summed up the struggles of Wilson’s day.

Wilson says he continued to study the playbook and work on installs while he was away from the team during his short holdout.

When asked what he planned to purchase with his signing bonus, Wilson gave the businesslike answer that coaches love.

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Of course, this was but a single practice for Wilson – his first training camp practice as a professional. Missing the previous two practices likely did not aid him as he took the field, either. Jumping to any conclusions based on his performance today would be foolish.

If Wilson starts to string together negative practices, it would be fair to begin feeling concerned at that point, but until then, it is way too early to overreact to anything Wilson does – be it negative or positive.

The Jets will hit the practice field once again tomorrow before taking a day off on Sunday. Fans will be in attendance, marking the first time that the team has hosted fans in any capacity since its Week 16 win over the Steelers at MetLife Stadium in December 2019.

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Michael Nania is one of the best analytical New York Jets minds in the world, combining his statistical expertise with game film to add proper context to the data. Nania scrapes every corner, ensuring you know all there is to know about everyone from the QB to the long snapper. Nania's Numbers, Nania's QB Grades, and Nania's All-22 give fans a deeper and more well-rounded dive into the Jets than anyone else can offer. Email: michael.nania[at]jetsxfactor.com - Twitter: @Michael_Nania
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