Where in the world is New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson?
This has been a busy offseason for New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson. Those Jet Blue connections have been paying off as he’s been seen traveling all across the country to practice with various teammates.
This should come as no surprise considering this is a player who practiced on a family vacation shortly after being drafted in 2021.
So, let’s catch up on Wilson’s cross-country travels to date.
Nashville, Tennessee
Path to success starts well before week 1! https://t.co/i8sYyiz6eC
— Zachary Wilson (@ZachWilson) March 22, 2022
The first stop of Wilson’s trip was with wide receiver Corey Davis in Nashville, where Davis played for four years with the Tennessee Titans.
#Jets QB Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) is down in Nashville getting some extra work in w/ WR Corey Davis (@TheCDavis84) who is preparing for a major bounce back season in 2022: 📸 coreydavis84 on IG #TakeFlight #NFL pic.twitter.com/BRSE6letR8
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 22, 2022
New Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah also spoke about joining Davis and Wilson, although it’s unconfirmed whether they ended up practicing together.
Here is clip of @cj_uzomah talking about meeting up w/ @ZachWilson, @TheCDavis84 down in Nashville where he normally trains & works out to get some work in: #Jets #TakeFlight https://t.co/rNbVC47sR1 pic.twitter.com/0ErdgKrOzl
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 17, 2022
Davis came to New York with high expectations after signing a three-year, $37.5 million deal, but struggled with drops for the first time in his career. Despite this, Davis was still the Jets’ most productive target in the first half of the season.
His revenge game against the Titans helped get the Jets their first win of the season. Davis had his best game as a Jet, tallying four catches for 111 yards and this amazing touchdown.
Zach Wilson with a BOMB to Corey Davis for the TD. Revenge game for Davis and the #Jets take the lead. pic.twitter.com/fKh4xWDTRN
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 3, 2021
Unfortunately, Davis struggled with injuries and his season ended in Week 12.
Davis’ drop problems were a major outlier compared to the rest of his career. Historically, he’s been above average in drop rate and has been among the best receivers in contested catch situations. Now healthy, Davis is determined to bounce back from a down year.
Miami, Florida
The next stop on Wilson’s tour was Miami, where he met up with recently re-signed wide receiver Braxton Berrios. And let’s just say they looked good.
Zach Wilson (@ZachWilson) & Braxton Berrios (@HNYNUT_BERRIOS) working w/ Dr. Kyle Krupa (co-founder of Athletix Rehab, Athletix Performance) 📸 kylefkrupa on IG #Jets #TakeFlight 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/CQQ6A64nkO
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 30, 2022
Berrios became Wilson’s top target in the second half of the season. Impressively, he had the fifth-highest Pro Football Focus grade (87.1) among wide receivers with 30+ targets over the final seven weeks of the 2022 season.
Running back Michael Carter joined Wilson and Berrios to practice in Miami as well.
Zach Wilson working with Michael Carter and Braxton Berrios at the University of Miami 🔥. #Jets pic.twitter.com/fTgYs6XbkD
— Optimistic Jets (@OptimisticJets) March 31, 2022
Carter also met up with fellow second-year player Elijah Moore.
A pair of young #Jets stars checking in: Michael Carter (@8kMike) + Elijah Moore (@e_moore03) 👋🏽 🎥 elijahmoore IG #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/YlG5yq37qF
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) March 31, 2022
Carter showed elite elusiveness as a rookie. Among 55 qualified running backs with at least 100 touches, Carter was first in forced missed tackles per touch (.295 per touch).
Provo, Utah
Wilson made a pit stop at his alma mater, Brigham Young University, where got some more work in.
🔊🔊🔊 @usnikefootball @byufootball pic.twitter.com/7yI5n1VvQ4
— Zachary Wilson (@ZachWilson) April 5, 2022
Wilson’s next stop featured Moore and some other Jets wide receivers, including a certain third-year player looking for redemption.
Scottsdale, Arizona
Wilson’s most recent stop came in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was in town for a charity golf outing hosted by Steve Young. Here he met with Elijah Moore, Jeff Smith, D.J. Montgomery, and Denzel Mims.
.@nyjets fans-I spent a Few hours watching @ZachWilson & his receivers throw today- they put in work!
(@e_moore03 runs such crisp routes & his hands are special!)
Zach truly can make every throw.
Love his humility working w/ John Beck & taking his coaching to get better pic.twitter.com/WOxDxKBKst— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) April 6, 2022
— Elijah Moore (@e_moore03) April 7, 2022
Moore caught fire after a slow start to his career. Before a season-ending injury, Moore was playing like a legitimate top 10 wide receiver.
If he can maintain that level of play in 2022, the Jets will have a legitimate WR1 for Wilson.
On the other end of the spectrum is Denzel Mims. Mims had a disastrous 2021 season and now it’s a question if he’ll even make the roster in 2022.
However, early in his career, Mims displayed plenty of potential. He is one of only seven wide receivers in league history to have at least 40+ receiving yards in their first six career games. Mims is also a freak athlete, boasting a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.75 out of 10.
This is how Mims compares to Julio Jones, one of the best wide receivers in NFL history.
| Player | Denzel Mims | Julio Jones |
|---|---|---|
| Height (in.) | 74.9 | 74.8 |
| Weight (lb.) | 207 | 220 |
| BMI | 26.6 | 28.4 |
| Arm Length (in.) | 33.8 | 33.8 |
| Hand Size (in.) | 9.4 | 9.8 |
| 40 Yard Dash (s) | 4.38 | 4.34 |
| Bench Press (reps) | 16 | 17 |
| Vertical Leap (in.) | 38.5 | 38.5 |
| 20 Yard Shuttle (s) | 4.43 | 4.25 |
| Three Cone (s) | 6.66 | 6.66 |
Unfortunately for Mims, he faced setback after setback heading into his second season.
First, Mims got severe food poisoning and lost up to 20 pounds. Next, he fell out of favor with the coaching staff and barely played to start the season. Even when Corey Davis got hurt, Mims failed to capitalize on the additional opportunities.
With additional practice, perhaps Mims can fulfill the potential that made him a top prospect.
#Jets WR Denzel Mims (@Zel5Zelly) has been working with one of the best wide receiver coaches on the planet this offseason: David Robinson (@drobalwayzopen) #TakeFlight #NFL 🎥 krystalk_photos on IG @BUFootball pic.twitter.com/WoV105eIXw
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) April 6, 2022
Zach Wilson is putting in the work, now we need to see results
It’s great to see Zach Wilson flying around the country to practice with his wide receivers.
However, it needs to translate into wins.
I will be the first person to say Wilson improved in the second half of the season. But until the Jets actually start winning games, it doesn’t matter. Nine passing touchdowns in a whole season isn’t nearly good enough.
We won’t truly know what will happen until the Jets take the field in September. Until then, Jets fans can take comfort in the fact that their quarterback is doing everything he can to improve himself.
With a year of experience and some extra muscle, Wilson is poised to break out in year two.
