Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow had a meteoric rise up NFL draft boards in 2019 after a record-breaking season in which he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to a national championship.
Burrow would go on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.
Could BYU quarterback Zach Wilson be following a similar path to the top of the 2021 NFL draft?
Before the 2019 season, Burrow wasn’t on the radar as a first-round pick by NFL scouts. However, his success at LSU completely changed his professional trajectory.
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While Burrow possessed all of the requisite physical tools, his mental approach helped make him the No. 1 overall pick in 2020.
Wilson entered the 2020 college football season in a similar position to what Burrow was in the year before. Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields were considered the top quarterbacks in the 2021 NFL draft, with North Dakota State’s Trey Lance right behind them.
However, after a breakout 2020 season in which he completed 73.5% of his passes for 3,692 yards with 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions in leading BYU to an 11-1 record, Wilson shot up draft boards much like Burrow did the prior year.
Our own Crissy Froyd of USA TODAY SMG’s LSU Wire and The Draft Network spoke to Mike Wilson earlier this offseason, who said his son watched a lot of Burrow from his time at LSU.
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On Friday, after his pro day at BYU, Froyd caught up with Wilson after his excellent performance and asked the quarterback about his father’s comments regarding Burrow.
“He’s definitely someone I’ll be watching in the NFL now, my junior year; he was a huge part of my mental success,” Wilson said.
“The ability to throw the ball into spots where maybe you think somebody is covered, but they’re really open. I really did a lot of studying the way that he played the game, and I think he did it all the right way. He knew exactly what he was doing on every play.”
While many expect Lawrence to go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in next month’s NFL draft, the belief is Wilson will go No. 2 to the New York Jets.
Froyd has Wilson at No. 1 in the quarterback rankings, and was the first to put him there ahead of the upcoming draft.
My top 10 QBs ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Sue me:
1.Zach Wilson
2.Trevor Lawrence
3.Justin Fields
4.Trey Lance
5.Mac Jones
6.Kellen Mond
7.Jamie Newman
8.Ian Book
9.Davis Mills
10.Sam Ehlinger— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) February 16, 2021
At BYU’s pro day, Wilson’s performance solidified his standing as an elite quarterback prospect for this upcoming draft.
The 2021 NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 29.
"..the ability to throw the ball into spots where maybe you think somebody is covered but they're really open. I really did a lot of studying the way that he played the game and I think he did it all the right way. He knew exactly what he was doing on every play."
— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) March 26, 2021
"That's the throw of the Pro Day season right now."
Zach Wilson showing off 🤫
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/Xz2cWdlJV1
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 26, 2021