The veterans around Garrett Wilson can’t stop raving about the rookie wide receiver already.
The latest was Braxton Berrios.
Wilson, the 10th overall pick by the New York Jets at the 2022 NFL draft put together a show on the field during spring practices. Berrios did take note of that, but he also saw Wilson’s mentality.
That’s what really shined, according to Berrios.
“You do see the natural, raw, athletic ability is there, one thousand percent. But there’s not one part of him that relies on that,” Berrios said via the Adam Schefter Podcast. “He works just like anybody else.”
“There’s no telling what his ceiling is, truly. He’s freakishly athletic, incredibly strong hands, good route runner, understands football, and he works everyday to become the best version of himself,” Berrios added.
Berrios’ comment follow suit with another veteran wide receiver with the Jets in Corey Davis.
“Dude is special. Dude is real special,” Davis said at minicamp.
In an ideal world, Wilson won’t just hit the ground running in New York, he’ll also make those around him better. If Wilson thrives in Year 1, that’ll instantly make things easier for other receivers around him like Berrios and Davis because Wilson will just be one more thing opposing defenses will have to worry about.
Then there’s the trickle-down effect: Such a scenario can only help quarterback Zach Wilson in his second year as well.
New York head coach Robert Saleh has added to the praise for the rookie receiver after OTAs and minicamp… but he’s still a coach. He has things a bit more tempered.
“It is fun to work with [the rookies] because you see them having a lot of ‘ah-ha’ moments and figuring things out as they go,” Saleh said during OTAs. “They bring a lot of juice. They’re fun to be around.”
“The rookies are exciting, but at the same time, they’ve got a lot hurdles to climb in terms of being the contributors we know that they’re going to be,” Saleh added.
