The consensus around the league is that the New York Jets will select BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. This isn't exactly news, as the link between the two has existed for several weeks and been discussed ad nauseam.
But is Wilson fit to handle the pressure of playing in New York? Is he mentally prepared for the high expectations, constant media attention, and inevitable staunch criticism?
His former head coach believes so.
"He'll do well [if the Jets draft him]. He's going to work hard and he's going to be excited to be a part of the team," BYU head coach Kalani Sitake told CBS Sports Radio's The Zach Gelb Show on Tuesday. "He's going to lean on his teammates, the coaches -- they're all going to work together. But he's going to work really hard, and I think he'll make the fans really happy. It's really important for him -- if the Jets do take him -- it's important that they know how much he cares about them and how much he really wants to make the fans happy and how much he really wants to make his teammates happy. So, you're getting the ultimate teammate.
"And if it is the Jets [that draft him], great. He'll do well in that city. He's primed for it. I think, more than anything, he'll work hard and he'll play football -- which is what he loves to do -- and he'll look to serve others and serve the community, which is something that he's also passionate about."
Wilson, who's currently ranked the second-overall prospect on Pro Football Focus' NFL Draft Big Board, played 12 games games under center for BYU as a junior in 2020. He finished the regular season campaign with 3,692 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and just three interceptions, and in late December, he led the Cougars to a blowout win in the Bacon Raton Bowl by completing 26-of-34 passes for 425 yards and three scores.
Like several other top draft prospects, Wilson has received harsh outside criticism of his character, attitude, and work ethic. Back in December, WalterFootball.com published an article that included quotes from an anonymous NFL scout who expressed concerns about Wilson's overall makeup, both on and off the field.
Wilson's teammates quickly came to his defense and refuted the anonymous scout's opinions, and Sitake did exactly the same then and while also speaking with Gelb.
"You saw the response from his teammates and coaches and everyone that's been around him -- even opponents that've been around him -- and they'll tell you that's false," Sitake said. "I don't know why people would want to say something that would be hurtful and definitely not true, but that's alright. Zach's been questioned before, and I think once you get to know him and you get to know the people around him, you'll realize that thing's false...
"I don't see anything in dealing with the Wilsons as a negative. It's in fact made our program better. It's raised the standard of how you function individually here as a player to a high new level. We have quarterbacks now in our room that understand what it takes to be successful, on and off the field. And Zach's the one who's led the charge, and they're following his example..."
The first round of the NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 29 in Cleveland.
The entire conversation between Sitake and Gelb can be accessed in the video and audio players above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.