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Mike White, who knows he must ooze confidence (If the 2018 fifth-round pick doesn’t believe, who would?) said he feels he should have been a No. 1 pick, which is the kind of self-assurance he feels every player should carry.
Zach Wilson pointed out he could be a college senior right now.
Wilson, the No. 2 pick from this year’s NFL draft who at least momentarily has been dethroned as the Jets starting quarterback, is taking the time away from the field to allow the sprained PCL in his right knee to heal and, he hopes, to improve his play after a rough beginning to his rookie campaign that has gotten more dramatic since his injury.
He is learning from watching White, who threw for 405 yards in his first career start and looked strong in one quarter last Thursday before a forearm injury forced him out. Perhaps studying White can make Wilson a better quarterback when he is on the field, but the Jets have not promised the starting job will be the rookie’s when he is healthy.
Wilson, in his first time speaking publicly in three weeks, said he is not frustrated with the situation, is thrilled for White (with whom he is close) and understands his play has not granted him a stranglehold on the starting gig.
“I’ve only played five games, you know? I just got here,” said the 22-year-old Wilson, who had four touchdown passes and nine interceptions before spraining his PCL against the Patriots on Oct. 24. “You have to go through adversity to get to where you want to go. So I definitely didn’t come here thinking this is going to be the greatest thing ever, and we’re going to go undefeated. And that’s part of the process. That’s what makes football so fun.
“My time’s going to come.”
As unlikely as it may seem, the rise of White means there’s no 100 percent guarantee Wilson’s time will come in New York.
Wilson was on the practice field Thursday, but he was not taking part in drills that the media was permitted to watch. He will be inactive Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the Bills, when Joe Flacco is expected to be the backup, but returning the following week is a possibility.
White has excelled in the same offense in which Wilson struggled by making quick reads and getting rid of the ball faster. The average White pass has gone 5.5 yards, while Wilson’s traveled 8.7 yards. Wilson held onto the ball too long and took too many chances. Though he has missed the past two-plus games, he is only two interceptions shy of the league lead.
Wilson acknowledged he will have to play more like White — the White way.
“His ability to eliminate, just quickly go through the process,” Wilson said of White’s strengths. “His ability to not feel like he needs to force something, but to take what the defense gives him.
“I would say my style of play needs to get more like that.”
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur suggested it is not quite as simple as playing just as White has played. White has a different skill-set than the big-armed Wilson, who thrives on improvisational plays. Still, this time away from the field can be beneficial in allowing Wilson to learn from the sideline and to clear his head, LaFleur said. Wilson has not had much time to do that after spending three seasons at BYU and starting immediately with the Jets.
Wilson said he has watched video of his previous games, and he apparently has had moments in which he sounds like plenty of Jets fans.
“I go back now and I’m like, geez, what am I doing?” Wilson said after practice.
There are heavy odds face of the Jets franchise will get his chance to prove those lessons have been learned. But answering the question of when that will come is looking too far ahead for both White and Wilson, who say what could be an awkward situation is not at all.
“He’s been so supportive, and he’s been awesome,” White said.
“I’d probably say I’m [closer] with him than anyone on the team,” said Wilson, who probably did not anticipate they would be close on the depth chart, too.
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