PROVO, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – A record 31 NFL teams were represented at BYU’s Pro Day on Friday, and the main attraction did not disappoint.
Zach Wilson did not do the agility drills after tweaking his hamstring a few weeks ago, but he made every throw in the book, solidifying his status as a top-3 quarterback in next month’s NFL Draft.
“The goal of today was to kind of show what makes me different,” said Wilson, who threw for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions last season. “The type of throws that I can make that I feel like other guys don’t make and don’t practice and don’t try and do. That was the goal of today was to show coaches in person what you’re made of, how the ball comes off the hand, how you move in the pocket.”
Wilson has been compared to Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers because of the different angles he can make on throws. He drew cheers from the crowd on a 60-yard bomb thrown off his back foot that was right on the money. Clearly, arm strength isn’t an issue.
“The game of football is changing, especially the quarterback position,” Wilson said. “You want someone who’s athletic and mobile and can make all the throws, but also extend and make things from different angles. So it was good to work some of that today.”
BYU could have several players drafted, and Wilson brought a lot of attention to those guys as well, like Khyiris Tonga, Dax Milne, Brady Christensen, Chris Wilcox and Tristen Hoge.
“One thing that I think was a huge advantage for those guys is to get them in front of some big time teams,” Wilson said. “That’s the reason for some of my success at BYU is I had some great players around me.”
“It’s really big knowing that all the eyes were going to be on us, and that’s what Zach did,” said Hoge. “It’s very fortunate to have a quarterback of this skill set to bring these eyes in on us.”
Wilson is being projected to be the highest drafted BYU player ever, either by the Jets at #2, or the 49ers, who just traded up to #3. But wherever he goes, Wilson will always remember the community that helped made him the player he is today.
“I’ve already had that thought process of what I can give back to Draper, to the state of Utah,” Wilson said. “That’s what you’ve got to remember all from the beginning. You’ve got to have that passion, drive and love for the game. There’s a lot of distractions when you get to this level, and for me, that’s the number one priority. Keep level-headed and be able to everyday just have that chip on my shoulder to keep improving and getting better.”
The NFL Draft will begin April 29th and run through May 1st, and will be televised on ABC4.
