Who Should I Start? Garrett Wilson or Josh Downs

Thursday, September 3, 11:32 AM

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson looks a lot easier to buy into after making it through the summer without any issues from the knee injury that derailed his 2025 season. Wilson played only seven games last year, finishing with 36 catches for 395 yards and four touchdowns on 59 targets after opening his career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons. This summer has looked much more normal. He practiced throughout camp, aside from one illness-related absence, and caught three passes for 42 yards across two preseason appearances. The connection with new quarterback Geno Smith showed up repeatedly in practice, including a five-for-five stretch when Smith targeted Wilson during team work on Aug. 7. Wilson is still the clear No. 1 receiver on New York's depth chart, even with Adonai Mitchell, Omar Cooper Jr. and a deeper group of pass catchers around him. RotoBaller has him at WR18 in its latest half-PPR rankings. After last year's lost season, a healthy Wilson looks like a solid WR2 with room to climb back toward the WR1 conversation.