Broncos roster review: Quarterback Zach Wilson

Can the former number two overall pick rejuvinate his career in Denver under head coach Sean Payton?

Zach Wilson was the number two overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. The former BYU star came off an impressive Covid year of football and showcased his arm talent at his impressive Pro Day. Things were looking promising for the young quarterback, but they quickly turned bad.

He started 13 games his rookie year, had a 3-10 record in those games, and passed for 2,334 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He only completed 55.6% of his passes and had a quarterback rating of 69.7 and a QBR of 33.4. It did not much better from there as he only started 9 games in his second season, was benched multiple times, and then watched the Jets trade for veteran Aaron Rodgers. After Rodgers four snaps last season, Wilson assumed the starting role and had some flashes, but ultimately, it ended the same as his other two season. He was benched, there was poor play, and as usual with the Jets, there was drama.

Zach Wilson’s time with the Jets was over.

The Denver Broncos meanwhile, were on the search for their own quarterback. They filtered with Sam Darnold and looked into trading for Sam Howell, but both ended up being too expensive for the team. Ultimately, the Broncos acquired Wilson and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Jets in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Now, Wilson is in a quarterback competition with rookie first-round pick Bo Nix and veteran journeyman Jarrett Stidham for the Broncos starting quarterback job.

Player Profile

Zach Wilson | Quarterback | Broncos | #4

Height: 6-2

Weight: 214 pounds

Age: 24 years old

2023 stats: 2,271 yards passing, 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 60.1% completion percentage

How quarterback Zach Wilson fits with the Denver Broncos

Wilson is competing for the starting quarterback job but is ultimately fighting for a roster spot with Jarrett Stidham on the Broncos 53-man roster.

Zach Wilson was a big-time bust for the New York Jets but is now looking to turn his career around in Denver with Sean Payton. He was acquired basically for nothing and is now competing for the starting quarterback job as well as simply making the team. According to reports out of OTA’s and minicamp, Wilson has struggled and looked like the third-best quarterback on the roster, but how he plays this summer will ultimately decide his fate.

Head Coach Sean Payton told reporters earlier this offseason that they acquired Wilson simply because “they wanted to work with this guy”.

“We just felt like, ‘Man, we’d love to work with this guy.’ It wasn’t too long ago we remembered grading him. We felt the investment was worth it relative to his skill set and his talent. So it took a while. We spent the better part of a month and a half working on that trade.”

He has all the arm talent in the world but his accuracy and decision-making need to improve. Those issues were mentioned as issues during the spring practices and it is something that he needs to correct if he wants to make this team.

At the end of the day, he gives the Broncos a low-risk, high-reward option at quarterback. He is a former number two overall pick with arm talent now being paired with an offensive-minded head coach who is known to get the best out of his quarterbacks. It is worth the roll of the dice because you have nothing to lose. If it doesn’t work out? Oh well, you cut your losses and move on. If he works out, great! Now you have a young quarterback you can keep around as a starter or backup moving forward.

Final Thoughts

Zach Wilson is a big X-Factor in this quarterback competition. I think he has the lowest odds of being the week one starter but the potential is there for him to figure things out under Payton. He may also continue to crash and burn like he did with the Jets but we have to wait and see how it all plays out.

At the end of the day, he is competing with Jarrett Stidham for a roster spot. Stidham is the steady veteran who knows the offense and can be a decent backup for the Broncos. Wilson needs to prove he can offer a higher upside than him if he wants to make the team. Ideally, Bo Nix wins the starting quarterback job, but if not, Wilson has a shot to take that too. Again, pretty low odds, but it is a possibility.

I am leaning towards him being on the roster bubble with everything I heard and read coming from OTA’s and minicamp. Both Nix and Stidham looked better than him and he will really need to bounce back if he wants to make the team.