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New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson experienced a meteoric rise at BYU last year, which led to him being the No. 2 overall draft pick — a status CBS broadcaster and former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo believes he fully earned.
While some outsiders aren’t so bullish on the new face of the Jets franchise’s potential, Romo did not mince any words whatsoever in discussing Wilson and who he could wind up comparing to, per KSL-TV’s Sam Farnsworth:
“I think you guys don’t quite know how good this kid is. I think he is super rare…like a young Dan Marino,” Romo said. “The ceiling is crazy high for this kid, I mean, Patrick Mahomes-crazy levels.”
Caveat alert: Romo hasn’t seen Wilson in action a lot — only his preseason debut and about a handful of other plays — but explained that the young gunslinger has “a couple of special traits that God doesn’t give those gifts to very many people.”
Romo also stated that he doesn’t know Wilson personally, but provided he has the work ethic that the Jets have been raving about throughout training camp, the CBS breakout TV star firmly backed Wilson to be a legitimate superstar.
Well, not even just a superstar. A freaking legend. When you’re talking about Marino and Mahomes, those are two of the best to ever do it. Mahomes may eventually even challenge Tom Brady for GOAT honors.
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Tony Romo’s prediction history bodes well for Zach Wilson
Sometimes, former NFL players —even successful ones, and even phenomenal QBs like John Elway — aren’t always the best judges of talent, even at their own position. Just look at the Denver Broncos’ struggles to get the most important position on the field right in the post-Peyton Manning era during Elway’s front office tenure.
But Romo has shot to even more widespread fame thanks to his uncanny predictive powers. He will often call out plays on a CBS telecast before they happen, which is probably what he’s most renowned for. However, Romo has already been bang-on about at least one player evaluation.
When Justin Herbert was suddenly thrust into the starting lineup during last season when the Los Angeles Chargers took on Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs, it took only a few series for Romo to declare about Herbert, “This kid is for real. He’s special.“
Romo made this bold proclamation despite the fact that Herbert was a polarizing prospect coming out of Oregon and wasn’t considered a slam-dunk future star at QB.
Herbert wound up rolling to Rookie of the Year honors, proving Romo right once again in his Nostradamus-like football prescience. Now the former field general for America’s Team is at it again, and by now we know that if Romo predicts something, chances are it’s probably going to come true.
Even if Wilson falls a couple notches short of the likes of Marino and Mahomes, that still means he’s a high-quality starter in the NFL. That’s more than the Jets have had since, honestly, Joe Namath.
The merits of Tony Romo’s gaudy Zach Wilson pro player comparisons
- Zach Wilson stats (2020, BYU): 247-of-336 passing attempts (73.5%), 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns, 3 interceptions; 70 carries, 254 yards, 10 touchdowns
When Marino exploded onto the scene with the Miami Dolphins, it was obvious that he had a lightning-quick release and effortless arm power. It seemed like no matter what was happening around him, Marino could position himself to be mechanically sound, and zip the ball to the open receiver with plenty of velocity and accuracy.
While those who watched Marino in his prime would probably contend Wilson doesn’t quite boast that type of raw arm strength, he’s not far behind. His release and natural throwing mechanics are also very comparable.
The Mahomes comparison by Romo likely stems from Wilson’s ability to extend plays with his legs, and his demonstrated ability to throw the ball from any arm angle. So even when his mechanics aren’t sound, Wilson can contort his arm and body and still deliver the ball with precision.
Find out if the Jets make the postseason cut in our latest edition of NFL playoff predictions
Perhaps no one has shown more of a knack for that than Mahomes. Oh, and all he’s done in his first three years as a starter? A league MVP award, three conference title game appearances, two Super Bowl trips and a Lombardi Trophy to go with his Super Bowl MVP accolade.
Now, Wilson is in a Jets organization plagued by instability and self-sabotage. He doesn’t have a playoff-ready roster like Mahomes did, nor will he have the luxury of sitting behind another elite QB, which the Chiefs did during Alex Smith’s final year there. From just the pure playing of the position, though, Wilson has traits that compare to Mahomes for sure.
See our game-by-game predictions and full breakdown of the 2021 New York Jets schedule