BYU quarterback Zach Wilson has made a Joe Burrow-like leap from little-known returning starter heading into the 2020 season to surefire first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Believe it or not, going into the postseason, Wilson sits at a 94.9 Pro Football Focus grade, the same grade Burrow had during his 2019 Heisman campaign at LSU. Burrow ended up being the No. 1 overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.
The rise to a 90-plus grade was sudden for both quarterbacks. Burrow posted an 80.5 grade in 2018, and Wilson posted a 76.2 in 2019, their first seasons as starters. The jump for both quarterbacks to their superstar seasons was immediate. Burrow didn't post a grade below 80 until Week 8 of 2019; Wilson didn't dip below that number until Week 7 of 2020.