As the New York Jets learned with Sam Darnold, making sure the right coaches and system is in place for a young quarterback is just as crucial as finding a talented one with the skills to succeed in the NFL.
It is essentially a foregone conclusion that BYU quarterback Zach Wilson will be the Jets’ selection with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft next Thursday, but Wilson will be joining a Jets team with a new regime under head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur.
LaFleur, brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, has worked under Kyle Shanahan since 2015 while with the Atlanta Falcons before following Shanahan taking the head coaching job for the 49ers.
Shanahan is respected as one of the game’s best offensive minds and LaFleur is expected to bring elements of Shanahan’s offense with him to the Jets.
This is great news for Wilson, at least according to his quarterbacks coach, John Beck. ProFootballTalk’s Peter King recently reached out to Beck and asked him how he envisions Wilson fitting in with the Jets’ offense.
“I think it’s a perfect fit,” Beck said. “In that offense, there’s Kyle [Shanahan], there’s Matt LaFleur, there’s Mike LaFleur, there’s [Rams head coach] Sean McVay, and they all recognize what works best in that offense."
Obviously, not all those guys are part of the Jets' staff, but the belief is that LaFleur will incorporate elements from those offenses with the Jets.
“If I could have hand-picked from the offenses I know well, which one would have fit Zach best, it would absolutely be that one," Beck added. "He brings such a skill set to get out on the edges, to be used in the keeper game, the play-pass game, he can drive balls in very small space off unique platforms as he’s moving.
“From my understanding, the interviews are going really well with teams. The Jets are getting to know Zach as best as they possibly can, outside of being able to do a private workout.”
Hearing that from Beck should have any Jets fan beaming with excitement. But, as everyone knows, there’s also the media landscape one, especially a franchise quarterback, must also navigate — another challenge in addition to development and earning the playbook.
As someone who has spent essentially his whole life living in Utah, moving to the New York metropolitan area under a spotlight will be quite the adjustment for Wilson, but one Beck is confident he can make.
“We’ve talked about that, the culture shock and how different it is,” he said. “It’s just the reality of the United States. He’s been to New York, as like a tourist. There will be a culture shock, being so far from home. He’s a family kid, grew up in Draper, Utah, went to BYU, very tight with his siblings and his parents, first time he’s away, but it’s a great experience. He’ll be good with it.”
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