Zach Wilson’s pro day showed why he likely won’t make it past the No. 3 pick
By all accounts, Zach Wilson is one of the top three quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL draft.
The scouts present at BYU’s pro day Friday, which included representatives from the Panthers, said as much.
And so did his performance.
Wilson threw about 60 passes Friday, and though a tally of his completions weren’t being kept, he completed the majority of them, and made difficult throws look easy.
Wilson didn’t do anything at his pro day to decrease his draft stock. In fact, he likely enhanced it with his off-balance throws down field. Wilson was at his best when he was on the run, making throws across his body that resembled those of Patrick Mahomes.
“Just my passion for the game,” Wilson said, when asked what separates him from other quarterbacks in the draft. “Somebody that can extend plays, somebody that make something happen outside of the offense when things break down is what I take pride in.”
Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady and general manager Scott Fitterer had front row seats to the performance, as both were on the field watching with other spectators.
One of the Panthers’ needs this offseason is at quarterback. Incumbent Teddy Bridgewater struggled in 2020, and is not thought to be the team’s long term answer. The Panthers attempted to trade him in a deal for Matthew Stafford.
While there’s little to no chance the Panthers could get Wilson with the No. 8 pick, they could trade up for him. But after his performance Friday, it’ll likely have to be with the Jets at No. 2.
The problem with that is what happened minutes before Wilson’s pro day began.
News broke that the Dolphins traded their No. 3 pick to the San Francisco 49ers for their No. 12 pick, their 2021 third round pick, and their 2022 and 2023 first round draft picks.
That means that the Panthers would likely have to give up a similar package, maybe more, to swap picks with the Jets and draft him at No. 2. That goes against what the Panthers are trying to achieve in building through the draft.
Wilson was one of the biggest surprises of 2020.
He threw for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and only three interceptions, all third best in the country. He also completed 73.2% of his passes, also third best. One criticism is that the competition he played wasn’t as strong as some of the other quarterbacks. BYU finished 2020 11-1.
Wilson said the goal of his pro day was to show he could make certain throws other quarterbacks don’t practice. He was able to do that.
“You want someone that’s athletic and mobile in the pocket and can make all the throws,” Wilson said, “but also can extend and make things from different angles and things like that, so it was good to work some of that today.”
