Jets rookie RB Michael Carter: Zach Wilson ‘deserved to be the No. 1 pick’

Rookie Jets running back Michael Carter has a great deal of praise for his quarterback ahead of the 2021 season.

It’s only been a short period of time, but a connection is already blooming in Florham Park.

Rookie Jets running back Michael Carter, who New York drafted in the fourth round out of North Carolina earlier this month, was a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio Thursday night. And during his spot on the airwaves, one of the youngest Gang Green members took the time to praise his new quarterback, No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson.

"He deserved to be the number one pick."@nyjets rookie running back Michael Carter says he's not knocking Trevor Lawrence, but he can't wait to play with Zach Wilson

? AUDIO ? #NFL | #RookieMiniCamp pic.twitter.com/9BanA6iND7

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 13, 2021

“I love Zach. We locked in already, that’s my boy…he’s a great player,” Carter said. “He’s literally so good. And he’s so smart, he does stuff that really just wows you. He deserved to be the No. 1 [overall draft] pick, if I’m being honest…everybody knows [No. 1 pick] Trevor Lawrence is elite, I played Trevor Lawrence in college…Trevor Lawrence is a special talent too. All I’m saying is that some people were arguing for Zach, and I agree, because I feel like Zach is a great quarterback as well.

“I’m not knocking anybody, I’m just saying I feel like Zach is a great quarterback and I can’t wait to play with him.”

Of course, Lawrence was the presumptive No. 1 overall pick out of Clemson for quite some time, and if the Jets ended up with that prestigious selection, Wilson could’ve possibly gone elsewhere.

But the draft is officially in the past — Wilson and Carter are now focused on an important 2021 season in which the Jets will be working to greatly improve from a two-win 2020 finish.

However, the comparison many people like to make between Wilson and Lawrence will continue to be made in 2021, to the point where the Week 16 game between the Jets and Jaguars will be circled on a significant number of calendars.

The two young quarterbacks will always be connected in a way — that goes for every pair of signal-callers taken with the No. 1 and 2 picks in the same draft. It was like that for Jared Goff and Carson Wentz (2016) and the same went for Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota (2015).