In his first NFL season, Garrett Wilson overcame generally poor quarterback play and an inconsistent offensive infrastructure to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. That fantastic start bodes well for his future now that his team, the New York Jets, have added four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers under center.
2023 Fantasy Football: Garrett Wilson Profile
Recap of 2022 season
For all the shortcomings Zach Wilson and the cadre of Jets quarterbacks exhibited in 2022, Wilson mostly managed to deliver good results. He finished the season with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns, though the vast majority of that production came during the final 10 games of the season.
Updated Jets outlook
The Jets, sensing the opportunity for a breakthrough season, consummated the biggest trade of the offseason to bring Rodgers aboard. While he comes off a down year, injuries and a young receiving corps account for some of the performance dips. Now healthy and paired with Wilson as well as old friends Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, Rodgers should lift the New York offense in 2023.
Best-case scenario
A healthy and motivated Rodgers pummels Wilson with around 150 targets. Though that figure falls more or less in line with what the wideout saw in 2022, the caliber of targets should improve with Rodgers at the controls. That should lead to a higher catch rate — Wilson only hauled in 56.5% of his targets in 2022 — and a noticeably higher touchdown total.
Worst-case scenario
If Rodgers’ 2022 downturn proves to be more than just a blip, the Jets’ offense won’t hit top gear. Even so, Wilson should still see an uptick in his overall production given how poorly Zach Wilson played last year. In the aggregate, the wideout could see gains in his reception and touchdown totals, but he wouldn’t make the leap to high-end WR2 territory or above.
Prediction
A healthy Rodgers and a healthy Wilson should grow into one of the league’s top connections in 2023. Look for a few more catches, noticeably more yardage, and a significant uptick in touchdowns from the latter this season.
