Zach Wilson has played himself from the New York Jets starting quarterback to third on the depth chart. Today, when the National Football Regular season migrates to Friday action, New York Head Coach Robert Saleh has named Tim Boyle his starter for the 12 Noon Pacific Time contest between the Jets and Miami Dolphins.
The Wilson saga is another stark example that the NFL scouting departments have not yet found a sure way to identify what college quarterbacks will and won’t be successful at the NFL level. When Wilson was drafted out of BYU with the second overall pick in 2021, it was rumored that the San Francisco 49ers had made the trade to move up in that year’s college allotment to draft him.
That year, the 49ers made a deal that sent three first round draft choices and a third round pick to the Miami Dolphins to move up to the third pick in the NFL Draft. It was thought at the time that the trade was in hopes of picking Wilson with the pick, but the Jets took him with the second overall selection and the 49ers then chose Trey Lance, who has since been traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth round draft choice.
Boyle came out of the class of 2018. That year, which was considered by scouts to be rich in quarterback talent, four signal callers were chosen in the first ten picks. Baker Mayfield went first to the Cleveland Browns and the Jets, in another failed attempt to find a franchise quarterback, made Sam Darnold the third overall pick. Four selections later, the Buffalo Bills took Josh Allen and the Arizona Cardinals made Josh Rosen the tenth overall selection.
Boyle, who played his college ball at the University of Connecticut and Eastern Kentucky was not drafted, but signed as a free agent with the Detroit Lions and spent two later seasons in Green Bay backing up Aaron Rodgers. Last year, he was with the Chicago Bears and joined the Jets this summer.
Now, he takes over the reins of a Jets team that came into the season thinking their quarterback position was secure with four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers in the fold. But in the opening game of the season Rodgers’ campaign ended with an injury that put the Jets back where they seemingly have spent decades, looking for a capable quarterback.
Today, they host the Miami Dolphins, who made a controversial draft decision for the quarterback position three years ago when they selected Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert, who the Chargers selected one pick after Miami had made Tua the fifth overall selection.
The decision to draft Tagovailoa over Herbert was not agreed upon in all corners of the Dolphins organization and eventually led to Brian Flores losing his role as Miami’s head coach.
Turns out, both teams got first rate quarterbacks.
While Herbert has classic form that epitomizes great signal callers of the past, Tua brings a more explosive style and can beat an opponent with both his arm and legs.
So, today, the Dolphins choice meets the Jets next longshot.
Seems easy.
But, the Jets also have a sturdy defense which makes giving a point spread nearing double-digits on the road a tough call.
Tough calls are usually the right calls, but this is just too many points to lay on the road against a good Jets defense.