There was a time when the entire NFL would have done just about anything to draft Zach Wilson back in 2021. With Covid lockdowns still pretty prominent, people were eating up any sports content they could get, and Zach Wilson was front and center.
Today, it’s looking like Wilson will have a tough time finding a team that wants to take him.
Early projections showed that once Wilson was given the green light for a trade, the Falcons and especially the Vikings, were some of the top candidates to pick Wilson up. However, both teams have already gotten new QBs, with Kirk Cousins going to the Falcons and Sam Darnold going to the Vikings.
Minnesota was Perhaps Wilson’s Best Shot to Start
With the news that Kirk Cousins was moving on to the Falcons, attention quickly went to who the Vikings would take for their next quarterback. Some believed that Russell Wilson would be a good option as a bridge kind of quarterback that would give the Vikings a year or two to figure out who could be their franchise quarterback while still possibly being competitive. Others pointed to Zach Wilson, who has shown flashes of being a star, particularly when given confidence by the team and coaching staff.
Ultimately, the Vikings decided to go with Sam Darnold, who is very similar to Wilson in that he got drafted by the Jets, struggled, and has been looking for another real chance ever since.
Possible Teams Zach Wilson Could Still Play For
Regarding teams where Zach Wilson may play for and start, that list is minimal, if any at all. In all likelihood, he will be a backup or even a third-string quarterback for some team, although guessing backups is about as effective as drawing names out of a hat. Sure, some teams are pretty settled with their depth chart right now, but all it would take is one good receiver or running back trade, and suddenly, the backup is gone to another team.
Three teams make a lot of sense, though: the LA Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Denver Broncos. All three of these teams don’t have a solid quarterback room, and Wilson would at least be a headline addition, even if he never starts. If Wilson had his pick, he’d likely play for the 49ers, who wanted to draft him out of college anyway and play a very similar kind of offense that he ran while playing for BYU.
Conclusion
Zach Wilson is too attractive not to get picked up by someone, but his track record will likely keep him from being taken by any team that doesn’t already have an established quarterback. However, one thing is clear: he needs to get out of New York. The coaches, organization, and team have betrayed Wilson too many times for him to remain and be effective in any way.
Wilson will want to be on a new team by next week, or he may be stuck in New York through training camp, as most teams will have figured out their QB situation, at least until after the NFL Draft.
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