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Going into 2021, Zach Wilson entered the NFL Draft with dreams of being the next Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. He was hoping to land in the NFL and make a name for himself. However, by landing with the Jets, Wilson is essentially going to be forced to sink or swim in the deep end with an anchor tied to his leg.
Landing with the Jets put the franchise on his shoulders more so than any other rookie. As a result, Zach Wilson is under the most pressure of all the rookie quarterbacks. Here's a look at the pressure on Wilson compared to that of the other rookie quarterbacks in the NFL.
Zach Wilson vs Trevor Lawrence
Both quarterbacks are under a lot of pressure to perform on day one for franchises that have struggled in recent years. Both quarterbacks have rookie NFL head coaches, and lack quality mentors to help guide their way.
However, Trevor Lawrence has an accomplished Urban Meyer to lean on. While Meyer has not won at the NFL level, he has spent all of the 21st century working with college football players. As a recent college player, Lawrence will be having the perfect coach to lean on.
Meanwhile, Zach Wilson has Robert Saleh, who has not won as an NFL head coach and will have his hands full learning his job. Saleh is also a defensive-minded coach, which inhibits him from helping the quarterback prosper. Basically, Wilson will have no one to lean on, while Lawrence has Urban Meyer.
Zach Wilson vs Justin Fields
Justin Fields is living in luxury compared to Zach Wilson. Fields has an experienced head coach and an experienced mentor in Andy Dalton. There is no pressure on Fields to start immediately, as Dalton is expected to win the job.
Fields will likely get to sit until the season goes sideways. Once that happens, and the switch is made, Fields won't have any pressure to make the playoffs, as the season will basically be lost in all likelihood. 2021 is all practice for Fields.
Zach Wilson vs Trey Lance
If Justin Fields is getting an upper-middle class introduction to the NFL, Trey Lance is with the one percent. He has a mentor who played in a Super Bowl in Jimmy Garoppolo.
Garoppolo is still in his prime, assuming he stays healthy. If he stays healthy, the 49ers could be good enough that Lance might not even need to see the field this year. Compared to Zach Wilson, Trey Lance is in great shape to not have to do anything this year.
Zach Wilson vs Mac Jones
While Mac Jones is definitely not the least pressured rookie quarterback this season, he is not completely exempt from pressure. He will be filling Tom Brady's shoes. Of course, Cam Newton was technically Brady's successor. However, Newton was never expected to helm the team for the next ten years. Jones, on the other hand, is the true successor.
Filling the shoes of a seven-time Super Bowl champion is no small feat. However, Jones will have some time to settle in before Newton will inevitably lose his job to Jones if the season goes off the rails. Jones will also have access to the same offensive coordinator and head coach that Brady did with Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick.
Meanwhile, Zach Wilson will be tasked to essentially figure it out on his own. Failure to do so will lead to the same fate as his predecessors. If Wilson fails in New York, odds are that he will end up as a journeyman quarterback at best, or he could be on a waterslide ride out of the league.
