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The hype for Zach Wilson is building.
A couple days after Vegas pegged Wilson with the sixth best Heisman Trophy odds, ESPN NFL Draft pundit Mel Kiper listed Zach Wilson has his fifth best QB prospect in the 2021 Draft. Below are Kiper’s rankings.
1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. Justin Fields, Ohio State
3. Trey Lance, North Dakota State
4. Kyle Trask, Florida
5. Zach Wilson, BYU
This is what Kiper said about Wilson, nominating him as “The guy you better get to know now.”
It’s early, and he is only a true junior, but Wilson has really impressed me so far. He looks completely healthy following the shoulder surgery he had in early 2019. That setback led to a bumpy season a year ago, as he was reckless at times and held the ball too long, resulting in mistakes (nine interceptions and too many off-target throws). Through three BYU wins this season, Wilson has completed an astounding 85% of his passes while throwing for 949 yards with six touchdowns and a pick. He’s on fire. Wilson has added weight and strength to his 6-3 frame, and he is sensing pressure well, manipulating the pocket and showing off his arm. He throws a great ball. Again, Wilson could stay in school and enter the 2022 draft, but he is a legit prospect.
BYU has faced poor competition by all accounts, but the throws and decisions Zach is making is what is getting the attention of NFL scouts and causing national media to consider BYU a legitimate team.
Kiper says he doesn’t “see the top three (QBs) changing any time soon”, so Zach could be incentivized to stick at BYU another year if he wants to move higher up NFL draft boards. We are still VERY early in the season and Zach could easily tumble down draft boards, but he is showing enough — even against poor competition — that is causing NFL scouts to believe in his potential at the next level.
Let’s hope BYU follows Coach Eric Mateos’ words to not drink the poison. The hype for BYU is starting get out of control and BYU could easily drop a game if they are not focused.