Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms is in the midst of releasing his always-debated top 40 quarterbacks list, and he recently reached New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick, checked in at No. 27 on Simms' countdown of the top 40 quarterbacks for the 2021 season:
"I think his talents are special. I think his throwing is out-of-this-world special. I don't think anybody is going to really doubt that anymore. I think he put that to rest after his Pro Day, where it's like people kind of wanted to fight against it, but then they saw that and they were like 'OK, that's really good.' Like people like Trevor Lawrence sending out an Instagram message going 'Sheesh,' which I respect out of Trevor Lawrence. [He was] basically going like 'Woah, I'm awesome, but that was freaking awesome.' That's cool. And that's what I think Zach Wilson is. If you talk to people who have seen him in person, it's always 'Woah, yeah I saw him in person. Oh, he's a little faster. Oh, he's a little more explosive. Oh, his arm, the ball explodes.' That's what you hear from people."
Simms, who ranked Wilson as the top quarterback prospect in the 2021 class, has the No. 2 overall pick one slot above the No. 1 overall pick, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Simms admitted that he's very high on Lawrence and thinks that the former Clemson star probably has a better supporting cast offensively, Simms has compared Wilson to Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, so naturally he's the top rookie in Simms' rankings this year.
For reference, Simms ranked Joe Burrow No. 26 last year, with Justin Herbert at No. 37. However, both appeared in his top 10 quarterbacks when he re-did his list in November of 2020, and Simms has since said he regrets letting outside perception keep him from ranking both higher in his preseason list.
One spot above Wilson was New York City's other quarterback, Daniel Jones of the New York Giants. If Jones doesn't make rather significant strides in his third NFL season, you're left to wonder if he'll still be starting for the Giants in 2022.
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