Jets draft BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with No. 2 pick

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NEW YORK — The New York Jets selected BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft Thursday night.

Wilson had been linked to the Jets for the last few months, and New York made him the blond, blue-eyed face of a frustrated franchise that has gone 10 seasons without making the playoffs — and 52 without reaching the Super Bowl.

The 6-foot-2, 214-pound Wilson made a massive jump in his development — and on teams’ draft lists — while throwing for 3,692 yards with 33 touchdown passes and just three interceptions last season for BYU. He also broke Steve Young’s school record for completion percentage with an eye-popping mark of 73.5%.

New York was also scheduled to pick No. 23 overall, marking the first time it has had two first-round selections since 2013 when cornerback Dee Milliner (No. 9) and defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson (No. 13) were taken.

The Jets have been fruitlessly searching for decades for a quarterback to emerge from the massive shadow of Joe Namath, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl in 1969. There have been flashes of individual and team success from several players under center since. But none has produced consistent enough results to solve the team’s seemingly endless quarterback quandary.

The Jets and their fans are hoping the former BYU star is finally the answer.

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