The Jets have had a few weeks to watch quarterback Zach Wilson in their offense, but head coach Robert Saleh said it will still be some time before they learn some necessary things about him.
During a Thursday press conference, Saleh was asked what he’s learned about Wilson that he didn’t know before seeing him on the field. Saleh said that this stage in the year isn’t one where you can get a full picture of a player because you aren’t able to see them respond to rough situations.
“We’re still learning, I’d love to give you an answer on that one right now but there’s going to be so much more to learn, and your best learning comes through adversity and conflict,” Saleh said. “Obviously OTAs everything has been feel good, everyone’s excited about everything that’s happening around the organization, until we actually hit adversity will we be able to learn more about each other and how we handle things. I’d shortchange you if I was to give you an answer now.”
In the weeks leading up to the draft, analysts talked a lot about Wilson’s ability to extend plays and make off-schedule throws. Those traits would seem to be good ones to deploy in the face of adversity, but the first chance to really face it won’t come until there’s another team on the field trying to stop the rookie.