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Zach Wilson was one of the most highly touted quarterbacks of the 2021 NFL draft class. After leading all independent schools in pass completions, completion percentage, passing yards, yards per attempt, and passing touchdowns in 2020, Wilson was picked No. 2 overall by the New York Jets.
But Wilson's poor play soon caused the Jets to attempt to replace him. They acquired All-Pro veteran Aaron Rodgers last season, and Wilson was even relegated to QB3 for a couple of weeks late last season.
A trade to the Mile High City effectively curtails any chance of Wilson starting again for the New York Jets, but will Wilson start for his new team, the Denver Broncos?
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What Did Zach Wilson Do in 2023?
In the Jets' first game of the season against the defending division champion Buffalo Bills, starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down on the first play of the game. But with Zach Wilson at quarterback, the team rallied, pulling off an impressive 22-16 overtime victory on national television. Wilson threw one touchdown pass.
For the season, Wilson had his highest completion percentage yet (60.1%) and threw more touchdown passes than interceptions for the first time in his career. His two multi-touchdown games came against tough opponents: the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Texans.
His Week 14 performance against the Texans, in which he completed 27-of-36 attempts for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, was his third 300-yard-game and the one in which he achieved the best passer rating of his career (117.9).
But it was not enough to make 2023 a successful season for Wilson. In the end, he only gained 6.2 yards per pass attempt, and his PFF rating was a dismal 58.2, making him the 34th-best quarterback of all meeting qualifying criteria.
Will Zach Wilson be the Broncos' Starting Quarterback in 2024?
With the Denver Broncos in position to draft a first-round rookie quarterback, Zach Wilson will most likely not be their starting quarterback in 2024. The Broncos sit at No. 12 in the draft. The favored pick for them in the NFL Mock Draft Database is Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Nix is also the odds-on favorite for the Broncos to draft in the sportsbooks.
Nix completed 364-of-470 pass attempts for 4,508 yards, 45 touchdowns, and three interceptions while leading the Oregon Ducks to a 12-2 record as a fifth-year senior. He led the NCAA in completion percentage, passing touchdowns, and finished second in total passing yards. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote, "Some of his gaudy production has been driven by the Oregon offense’s design, but his talent clearly stands out."
Some mock drafts have the Broncos taking Nix at No. 12. Some have them trading back and grabbing him later in the first round. A first-round quarterback should be able to win a starting job over Zach Wilson.
Wilson will also have to compete with Jarrett Stidham for the backup job. Stidham only started two games for the Broncos last season, winning one and losing one in Weeks 17 and 18. But he finishied the season with a higher completion percentage, more yards per attempt, and a better touchdown-to-interception ratio than Zach Wilson.
Zach Wilson has an outside shot of beginning the season as the Broncos starter if they miss on Nix or if Nix can't win the job in training camp. But the most likely outcome is that a quarterback not already on the Broncos roster will start most of their games.
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