The 2024 NFL Draft is right around the corner and many (myself included) believe that the Denver Broncos will take a new signal caller in the draft (who that will be remains a mystery) but I also believe the Broncos should take the chance on another quarterback too, one that might just need a change of scenery.
It is no secret that the New York Jets feel like they have been fooled after selecting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and how could they not? Since being in the league Wilson has a record of 13-21 according to StatMuse to go along with 23 touchdowns to 25 interceptions according to ESPN, not exactly groundbreaking material. Everyone has by now seen the infamous pro day throw from Wilson and with an arm like that how could you blame the Jets for being intrigued?
My thinking comes down to this, if anyone in the league can extract the best out of a quarterback, it's Sean Payton. Russell Wilson had an abysmal start his first year in Denver cut to Payton's first year in Denver and from a statistical standpoint, Russell improved. Payton took the likes of Teddy Bridgewater, Trevor Siemian and Jameis Winston and got the absolute best out of them for the short period he had them in New Orleans. Fun fact, each one of these players generated their best quarterback rating of their careers when Payton was their head coach. Also, see prime example, future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.
All of the other quarterbacks who could potentially fill out the quarterback room have been scooped up and we don't need another veteran retread like Ryan Tannehill. Could Zach Wilson benefit from a change of scenery much like Baker Mayfield has four times now? The scouting report on Wilson from NFL.com labeled him as a "boom or bust" potential and obviously he has been a bust so far in New York, but lets not pretend that he came into a situation that was set up for him to succeed. Not to mention he has flashed at times, see his statline from the Texans game last year. He could also benefit from coming into a system that doesn't have an expectation of winning.
The current quarterback room for the Broncos includes Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci. You can't tell me that Zach Wilson couldn't beat out DiNucci for number two and at least give Stidham a challenge or that he doesn't have a hire potential ceiling than those two. Zach Wilson is only 24 years old and the last quarterback to be drafted by the Jets was also awful, Sam Darnold, and the Broncos were just trying to sign him.
Wilson has the arm talent and athleticism to be a quarterback in the NFL but he lacks the thought process and decision making but he is still so young that maybe (just maybe) Payton could get something out of him and if not? Then he will be the second quarterback with the last name Wilson to be booted out of the Mile High City.