New York Jets first-year head coach Robert Saleh’s first and most important task is integrating rookie quarterback Zach Wilson into the NFL. And while Wilson has struggled, Saleh has been giving the young man a lot of positive reinforcement.
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Saleh said he’s been teaching Wilson to stay in the pocket under all circumstances in order to teach him how to read progressions. But the biggest lesson he’s taught Wilson is the difference between college speed and NFL speed.
“In college the ball travels faster than the man,” Saleh said. “But in the NFL, the man travels faster than the ball.”
It’s a change that probably won’t come easy for Wilson. At BYU, Wilson frequently left the pocket to take advantage of his superior athleticism. And it was a pretty effective strategy as he found the endzone 15 times as a runner.
Wilson is “deliberately” trying to stay in pocket so he can work on progressions, per Saleh. When he does leave pocket, he’s realizing that “in college the ball travels faster than the man. But in the NFL, the man travels faster than the ball.” #Jets
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 19, 2021
But the NFL is a pretty different animal and those differences have led to very brief careers for some of college’s biggest stars.
The New York Jets drafted Zach Wilson No. 2 overall and have worked tirelessly to build their entire offense around him. Many analysts believe that Wilson has the potential to be a player in the same style of Aaron Rodgers – an analysis that Jets fans undoubtedly salivate at.
Wilson has had his struggles in his first training camp, and there’s no doubt he’ll have his struggles as a rookie.
But it’s clear that Robert Saleh wants his rookie quarterback to take his lumps early and often. Diamonds are formed under pressure, after all.
The post Robert Saleh Reveals Lesson Zach Wilson Is Learning So Far appeared first on The Spun.
Leave a Reply