Don’t Believe The Hype, These Two New York QB’s Aren’t Comparable

There has been a comparison floating around the New York football world.

One the one hand, you have Josh Allen. The 2020 NFL MVP runner-up and offensive leader for the Buffalo Bills has grown immensely in his four seasons in the NFL, and is currently one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

On the other hand, you have Zach Wilson. The rookie quarterback was chosen second overall by the New York Jets, and struggled to find consistency during his first year in the league.

The comparison has been made between the two, and try as I might, I just can't really see it.

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Zach Wilson Has Been Compared to Josh Allen as a Rookie

The comparison was addressed by ESPN's front office insider, and former New York Jets' general manager, Mike Tannenbaum this morning on Keyshawn, JWill and Max. He stated that he did not believe in the comparison, and I would tend to agree with him.

Now, let's start with the positives. Wilson, much like Allen before him, did not play a complete rookie season, and struggled with accuracy issues, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns as a first-year player.

Both Allen and Wilson were taken in the top-10 in their respective draft classes, and were lauded as the starting quarterback of the future. While Allen likely faced stiffer competition in college at Wyoming, Wilson's stats at BYU were far more eye-popping when both QBs were juniors, respectively.

That, however, is where the comparison ends. At least, so far.

It's Unfair to Compare These Two Players

It helps nobody to compare Josh Allen to Zach Wilson, especially not Wilson. The young QB struggled as a rookie, and now, he has three more years to be a perennial MVP candidate? That's just a tad too much pressure on the Jets' youngster.

Plus, these are two entirely different athletes, with two entirely different physical builds. Josh Allen is an absolute presence in the pocket. He's 6'5", but extremely mobile for a player his size.

Wilson isn't small by any means, but he doesn't have the same stature when standing behind the offensive line. He isn't a presence yet, and can be pushed around and contained with far less effort than his comparable.

Look, Zach Wilson has potential, and Jets' fans are still hoping that he's more of a Josh Allen 2.0, and less of a Sam Darnold 2.0. That being said, there are qualities and characteristics about Wilson that will hold him back from reaching the same potential as the QB who lives up north.