Zach Wilson takes the field for the Broncos for the first time since trade
All eyes are on first-round pick Bo Nix as (most of) the entire Denver Broncos' roster takes the field for the first on-field OTA sessions in 2024. That takes at least a little bit of pressure off of trade acquisition Zach Wilson, a player the Broncos added just days before the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wilson was the 2nd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, and when it comes to physical and athletic talent, he might be the most talented overall quarterback on the Denver Broncos' roster right now. The question is, can he put it all together as a player in Denver?
If he does, that would certainly throw an interesting wrinkle into things, wouldn't it? At any rate, the Broncos finally got to see Wilson on the field over the last handful of days for the first time in uniform.
First look at QB Zach Wilson in a Denver Broncos jersey
Wilson was originally assigned #10 when he was traded to the Denver Broncos in April, but he gave that number to rookie Bo Nix upon Nix's arrival to Denver. Wilson, wearing #4, was working with the 1st-team offense on the second day of this three-day OTA session.
At this point, I don't know that anyone really considers Wilson a legitimate threat to win the starting job in Denver this year. Most people would be disappointed if it's not Bo Nix out there starting, but there are worse things that could happen than Zach Wilson resurrecting his career as a member of the Broncos. Broncos fans would have loved to have had the chance to take Wilson back in the 2021 NFL Draft when the team held the 9th overall pick, but it was never going to be realistic.
Wilson has played well in a couple of individual games against the Broncos, in particular, but his best effort as a pro might have been against the Broncos' rival Kansas City Chiefs last season. Wilson played a couple of really nice games late last season against the Chiefs and Texans, actually, and may have reignited some hope that the best is still yet to come.
A coach like Sean Payton working with a player like Zach Wilson is exactly what you want to see when a young player like that is struggling. Snaps may be hard to come by, but Payton is going to help equip Wilson with the tools he needs to be successful. What he does with that remains to be seen.