The 7 big things we learned about Jets QB Zach Wilson at rookie minicamp
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets held their rookie minicamp over the weekend, giving the football world a first look at No. 2 pick Zach Wilson in his new uniform and helmet.
It's always unwise, and a little silly, to make judgments about players on the field during rookie minicamp. Especially this rookie minicamp.
But even though we didn't see Wilson throw a pass against a defender this weekend, there was still a lot of insight to be gained about the state of the Jets — just by watching the first practices of the Saleh era and listening to the newest players speak for the first time since the end of the draft.
Here are some of the things that stood out to me.
Zach Wilson isn't giving himself the job yet
Wilson is the heavy favorite to be the Jets' Week 1 quarterback — the only other quarterbacks on the roster are James Morgan and Mike White, who have never appeared in an NFL game. And Wilson admitted that winning the job as a rookie is "important" to him. But it's not at the top of the list
"That's not my focus right now," Wilson said. "My focus is to learn the offense, keep getting better every single day, do what I can with the guys around me. And I think the rest takes care of itself. In this position, the coaches want to play the best player, and that position's got to be earned. I got to go in there and I got to make sure I do what I'm supposed to do. And that will take care of itself."
That's a smart mindset. And it will serve him well, especially if the Jets add some competition at some point by signing a veteran quarterback.
Early insight on a key relationship
We know a lot about the Jets new offense, which should be very similar to the scheme Kyle Shanahan has used with great success with the 49ers. And we know the system, which is designed to get the quarterback out of the pocket and taking big shots downfield, was a huge reason Wilson wanted the Jets to draft him. But we still don't know how Mike LaFleur will handle being a first-time offensive coordinator and his key role in Wilson's development.
Rookie minicamp offered the first glimpse. And while it would be foolish to arrive at any sort of meaningful conclusion after watching two May practices from a distance, I can say that LaFleur appeared to be comfortable in his new role. He watched Wilson closely and provided regular feedback and instruction, not just to the quarterback but to several of the offensive rookies.
"He's a great guy to work with," Wilson said. "I love how honest he is in terms of making sure you get the point across as far as what we're trying to do. And the offense is great that we're running. I have no complaints at all. I think he's a great guy and super intelligent.
"I can just tell in the film room, when we're going over plays, going over situations and he'll randomly just spit out, 'oh yeah, on this, this and this play this happened.' And this was three years ago. 'This is the situation, this is the play, this is exactly what happened.' He's got great recall, great memory."
Saleh is doing it his way, but still adjusting
Saleh also looks comfortable with every aspect of his new role. And said that much of being a head coach is similar to what he did as the 49ers defensive coordinator over the past four years, he's just applying it to the entire team. But it's still an adjustment as he was forced to remind himself Friday morning, after his first practice session with the rookie linemen.
"The horn blew for practice to be over," Saleh said. "And I started to take my normal spot behind the huddle to listen to the head coach speak and I was like, ‘Oh, shoot. That’s me.'"
Saleh laughed as he recalled the moment, revealing a sense of humor and a willingness to laugh at himself — character traits that many of his overly self-serious peers simply don't possess.
The players didn't seem to mind the brief delay to his post-practice remarks. Every rookie who was asked had high praise for their new coach. Of course, Saleh won't be judged on his personality or how much the players like him. But his approach is noticeably different than the past several coaches the Jets have had. (And that's probably a good thing.)
The Jets are hopeful they found their next kicker
No one would have been surprised if general manager Joe Douglas took a kicker in the later rounds of the draft, especially after punter Braden Mann, a sixth-round pick in last year's draft, had a strong rookie season.
It didn't happen. But the Jets might have found their kicker of the future anyway when they added SMU undrafted free agent Chris Naggar to the roster. Saleh said he's "very excited" about Naggar, who the Jets signed after a deep evaluation by special teams coordinator Brant Boyer.
"[We're going] to give him the opportunity to come here and compete for that job," Saleh said. "That's a real deal and it's going to be fun to watch."
Naggar, 23, was the kicker and punter for SMU last year, converting on 17-of-21 field goal attempts and 43 of 46 extra points. All of his missed field goals were from 45 yards or beyond, including attempts from 50 and 57 yards.
The competition seems to be between Naggar and Sam Ficken, who made 35 of his 48 kicks with the Jets in 24 games over the past two seasons. It became clear Naggar was a serious competitor for the job when they released Chase McLaughlin over the weekend, who most recently kicked for the Jaguars.
Wilson is a fan of North Jersey
Wilson is still learning about his new team and his new home state — remember, there were no pre-draft visits this year, so this is his first extended chance to get to know Florham Park and the surrounding areas.
And while we don't have the mountains of Utah, Wilson seems to be impressed by the scenery and everything about his new living situation.
"It's a very pretty, beautiful place. Very green," Wilson said. "I just learned is this area is not a city lifestyle. It's great. If you want the city, you're close by. You can hop on a train or drive down about an hour. But it's cool that we're in the suburbs where we're kind of away. It's an easy place to focus on football and just be able to get what you're supposed to get done."
It's a big change in scenery and everything else. But Wilson seems to be enjoying the experience.
"It's kind of crazy how fast your life can change," Wilson said. "But it's onto the next challenge and just adjusting with everything going on here and I'm excited about it."
Who Michael Carter II models his game after
Michael Carter II, the Duke cornerback who the Jets took in the fifth round, could compete for a major role as a rookie because of the lack of depth at the position. The Jets see him as a slot cornerback or a deep safety. But right now he's working primarily in the slot.
Carter was asked who his models his game after and he chose two of the best who play similar hybrid roles
"Guys like [Chiefs DB] Tyrann Mathieu and [Cardinals DB] Budda Baker for sure," Carter said. "Just the mental side and that 'dog' aspect and being the aggressor on the field and out-competing the guy in front of me. I think those two guys are really players who I've taken a little bit of their game and tried to implement it into my own, especially mentally how I approach everything, on the field and in life."
Matthieu saw what Carter, and posted on Twitter that he was "honored" and added that remembered looking up to perennial Pro Bowl corner Patrick Peterson before reaching that level himself. It was a classy response by Matthieu, a former third-round pick, and a cool moment for Carter.
Zach Wilson's number (probably)
I saved the most important item for last. Wilson seems to have picked his new number. But if you were thinking of getting the jump on other fans by ordering a custom jersey with his name and number, you might want to wait because he left some wiggle room.
"I'm still deciding, but most likely No. 2," said Wilson, who wore No. 11 and most recently No. 1 at BYU. "Just mixing it up. Doing something new. I like any single-digit numbers. And I think it's kind of cool that I was the second pick, I think that's a cool reason to switch it up. There wasn't really too much thought behind it, but I just think it's a cool number.