A new era was supposed to begin when the New York Jets drafted Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Having a talented quarterback prospect was expected to make them take a big step forward.
Although his development was far from their projection. He had some injuries early in his career that probably limited his growth a bit. However, his performance when he was ready wasn’t even barely good.
Wilson’s short tenure in the team has been a failure so far because he also showed serious accountability issues. That’s why they made a big trade with the Green Bay Packers for Aaron Rodgers. Former quarterback Alex Smith had strong words pointing to having a defensive-minded coach for his poor development.
Alex Smith destroys the Jets over Zach Wilson
It’s not ways for any rookie to produce, but quarterbacks have the most pressure. That is even more notorious with the players drafted high, something that Smith knows very well. He was the first overall pick in 2005 by the San Francisco 49ers, the year that Rodgers was also available. His opinion on why Wilson has not produced is very clear.
“Robert Saleh, you’re a great defensive mind and coordinator, but like you have no idea how to develop a quarterback. The coordinator you hired never called plays. So that’s a completely different animal. And as much as you think you’re prepared to handle that development of a young kid, you’re just not”, Smith said in an appearance on SiriusXM Radio according to the site JoeBucsFan.
Smith also shared his personal experience: “There is a different mentality when you play for an offensive head coach that wants to light up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent versus a defensive head coach, when really the mentality is ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation’. That’s a huge difference in a mentality and a mindset for a young quarterback, especially if it’s a bit rocky to start”.