Trevor Lawrence vs. Zach Wilson by the n

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There was little doubt a year ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft that Trevor Lawrence would be selected first overall. The Jets and Jaguars eventually battled for the No. 1 pick James Worthy Jersey , but after New York won two of its last three games in 2020, it was Jacksonville that had the chance to draft a quarterback many considered to be one of the best prospects in recent memory.With Lawrence destined for Jacksonville, the Jets had plenty of time to decide who to draft second overall. General manager Joe Douglas settled on Zach Wilson, whose raw arm strength paved the way for a breakout 2020 season at BYU.Lawrence and Wilson's careers have taken twists and turns through nearly two NFL seasons, but their trajectories are starting to point in completely different directions.As they prepare to face each other in the midst of a playoff race, The Sporting News looks at how Lawrence and Wilson stack up against each other.MORE: This is the second time Lawrence and Wilson are facing off since they Wesley Matthews Jersey entered the NFL. Wilson and the Jets won the first meeting last year. It's unlikely that another Jets win on "Thursday Night Football" will convince anyone that Wilson was the better choice.Lawrence has transformed into one of the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks in his second season, showing steady improvement under Doug Pederson after a tumultuous first year under Urban Meyer.In fact, Lawrence has been excellent of late, to sing 13 touchdowns and just one interception over his last five games while leading the Jaguars back into AFC South contention. He appears to be over the turnover i sues that plagued him as a rookie, and his upward trajectory may make Jacksonville the favorite in the AFC South entering 2023.MORE:Wilson, on the other hand, has not shown the same progre s.Like Lawrence, he struggled more than he thrived as a rookie, but he showed signs of improvement when he cut back on turnovers late last season. Wilson opened his 2022 season 5-1 as the Jets' starter, but he threw just one touchdown pa s acro s his first four games and continued to struggle with decision-making.Robert Saleh benched Wilson after Gail Goodrich Jersey an ugly performance against the Patriots in Week 11, which was compounded by the quarterback's unwillingne s to take responsibility afterward.MORE:A rib injury to Mike White has pushed Wilson back under center for the Jets, but his future with the team beyond this season is very much up in the air. YearW-LComp pctYdsTDsINTs20213-1459.63,641121720226-866.03,520247TOTAL9-2262.57,1613624Lawrence has made huge strides from his rookie season. He finished 2021 tied for the league lead in interceptions but has 17 more touchdowns than INTs so far this season.Lawrence's accuracy has also improved dramatically, though the arrivals of wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Los Angeles Lakers Hoodie Jones have helped give him a more stable group of weapons.Of course, we may never know how Lawrence's rookie season would have turned out if Urban Meyer hadn't been at the helm of the Jaguars, but the Clemson product's talent is now shining through after that experience.MORE:Even if this late-season surge doesn't produce a playoff berth, the Jaguars are clearly set up well for the future with Lawrence and Pederson in place. YearW-LComp pctYdsTDsINTs20213-1055.62,33491120225-354.91,59666TOTAL8-1355.43,9301517Wilson's rookie numbers weren't all that different than Lawrence's, but Wilson hasn't been able to take the major step forward that Lawrence has in Year 2. In fact, he hasn't taken much of a step forward at all.Wilson has just six touchdown pa ses in eight starts after a knee injury forced him to mi s the season's first three games, and his completion rate has dipped slightly below 55 percent despite an improved receiving corps led by standout rookie Garrett Wilson.Wilson was able guide the Jets to wins early in the season, which helped stave off whispers of a quarterback change, but a brutal performance against the Patriots in Week 11 abruptly forced Saleh's hand.White appears to be the Jets' starter when healthy, but the rib fractures he suffered Los Angeles Lakers Hats against the Bills in Week 14 shoved Wilson back into the spotlight. That makes Thursday's game not just a critical one for New York, but also a ma sive opportunity for Wilson to prove he deserves to be a part of the franchise's future.