The New York Jets have desperately been searching for a No. 1 wide receiver and they’ve finally found one in Quincy Enunwa.
Quincy Enunwa doesn’t meet societal standards as a prototypical No. 1 wide receiver in the NFL. He stands in at 6-foot-2 and hovers around 225 pounds. Enunwa was the 209th overall pick in the 2014 draft. Yet, despite showcasing nothing the NFL expects, he’s unquestionably the No. 1 wide receiver for the New York Jets.
Prior to the 2018 season getting started, many people assumed that Robby Anderson would be the lead guy for the Jets. Makes sense.
Anderson enjoyed a career season in 2017—career highs in receptions (63), yards (941) and touchdowns (seven). But he hasn’t defeated the narrative that he’s a one trick pony as a player who is super fast and can beat you deep, but doesn’t offer anything else in the route tree.
While on the other side, Enunwa is a jack of all trades kind of guy. He’s quicker than people give him credit for. Quincy has also proven he can beat you deep (like Anderson), but on top of that, he can contribute in the intermediate and short passing game. Throw in phenomenal hands and superb leadership and you’ve got a real solid player to build your offense around.
Perhaps most importantly, he’s built an obvious rapport with rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.
“WR Quincy Enunwa tied his career best in receptions and led the team for the second week in a row, hauling in seven receptions for 92 yards. Through the first two games, Enunwa has tallied 13 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown. His 92 receiving yard are tied for the third-most he’s recorded in a game,” per the Jets game notes.
Typically in an NFL offense, a tight end serves as a quarterback’s security blanket. From a comfortability standpoint, if no one else is open, the quarterback can have someone to go too. With the current porous situation at tight end for the Jets, a player has indeed stepped up from the shadows to be that guy for the rookie signal-caller.
Guess who? Quincy Enunwa.
Sam Darnold became the youngest quarterback in NFL history with a 300-yard passing game. How did that happen? Enunwa making difficult catches, getting Darnold out of sticky situations, and just being reliable.
While speaking of reliable, Robby Anderson has four catches for 68 yards this season and a critical fumble that possibly cost the Jets the game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. Trust is such a funny thing in professional sports. It’s an incredibly hard thing to build. While, ironically, it’s an easy thing to break.
Enunwa is on a mission. People have been doubting him since his days at Nebraska. Last season, he had to sit and watch the Jets from the sideline because he was recovering from a pinched nerve in his neck. You can’t get much more of a serious injury than that.
Yet Enunwa never asked, why me? Instead, he worked his ass off to get to this point and in a contract year, he’s ready to prove not just to the Jets but the football world that Quincy Enunwa has finally arrived.
At the end of the day, Quincy Enunwa isn’t the receiver the Jets wanted. He’s the weapon the New York Jets needed.
