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New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson making a play during an NFL game against the New England Patriots.
New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson is set to have a historic season in 2026.
At least that’s the opinion of ESPN analyst Eric Karabell, who said don’t be surprised if Wilson “finishes as a top five wide receiver.”
“A healthy Wilson, even with Geno Smith at QB for the New York Jets, registers a career-best 1,200 receiving yards and finishes as the No. 4 fantasy WR. Remember, Smith reached 4,320 passing yards for the 2024 Seahawks, and [Jaxon] Smith-Njigba caught 100 passes for 1,130 yards. It can be done,” Karabell wrote.
Wilson Has Delivered Despite the Quarterback Play
There is an age-old debate: does the quarterback make the receiver, or does the receiver make the quarterback?
Wilson has proved he can put up numbers with a warm body at the game’s most important position.
Wilson, 25, will turn 26 before the start of the 2026 season. He was the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Across the first four years of his career, Wilson has played with nine different quarterbacks:
Geno Smith is set to be the 10th different quarterback that Wilson has played with. What an insane stat.
Despite that carousel of quarterbacks, Wilson has put up numbers. He has appeared in 58 games and has made 53 starts. With those opportunities, Wilson has been targeted 528 times and has caught 315 passes for 3,644 receiving yards and has scored 18 touchdowns.
Those are really good numbers in any circumstance, but especially considering the level of QB play that Wilson has been subject to. If you were to sift through his career with a fine-tooth comb, you would conclude that he hasn’t put up elite numbers. They are really good, but not top-five receiver worthy.
There are a few milestones that the best receivers have hit that Wilson hasn’t yet in his career. That includes things like double-digit touchdowns and 1,200+ receiving yards.
Wilson is projected to do that this season with what should be much better quarterback play with Smith on campus.
The Former Ohio State Product Turns Heads
Wilson made a play at OTAs that got fans buzzing on social media.
During a wide receiver drill, an assistant threw Wilson a pass without breaking stride. He stuck out his right hand, palmed the ball one-handed, brought it in, and kept running.
Wilson has made these kinds of plays look so easy that sometimes they get glossed over as just a talented pass catcher making a play.
“Wow,” the first female scout in NFL history, Connie Carberg, responded.
A fan said, “Dude caught that [expletive] like a baton hand off 🤣.”
“😳 OMG I really miss watching Garrett😤🙌🏻can’t wait to his him back in action this season💚,” another fan said.
It is a return this offseason for Wilson. Through the first three years of his career, he never missed a game. However, during the 2025 season, Wilson missed a total of 10 games.
It was a nightmare season for so many reasons, and not having Wilson on offense destroyed the unit.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
