Jets rookie Garrett Wilson expects a lot out of himself

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Garrett Wilson leaped high off the ground and got his hands on Zach Wilson’s pass but couldn’t come down with it. It would have been an amazing grab, and the show of athleticism got a big response from Jets fans attending Saturday’s open practice. But Garrett Wilson had a different reaction. He was not happy about his failure to complete the play.

“I hold myself to a really high standard,” the rookie receiver said. “I like to think of myself as making plays. No one is more upset with me than me after putting a ball like that on the ground no matter where the ball was at or any of that.

“I should be making those plays right now. Until I am making those plays, I’m not going to be happy with myself.”

The Jets drafted Garrett Wilson with the No. 10 pick out of Ohio State because of his athleticism, catch radius and mental makeup. All were on display on Saturday. He made a terrific diving catch early that drew a huge ovation, but the one that got away was what ate at him.

Wilson expects to make every play, and when he doesn’t, he’s very hard on himself. He said he needs to find a little more balance but believes his perfectionist mentality has helped him get to the NFL.

“I’m working on that for sure. I don’t want to beat myself up too hard,” he said. “I know what I’m capable of. Every time that Zach trusts me to make that play and I don’t make it — you just don’t want to leave that up in the air. You got to make that play. You don’t know when the next ball’s coming back to you.

“I’m definitely hard on myself. I got to work on it a little bit. It’s something that I feel like it’s took me a long way, being hard on myself and not wait for a coach to tell me. I feel like that took me a long way, so I don’t want to lose that.”

Garrett Wilson said some of his teammates are helping him to turn the page quickly and move on to the next play. He mentioned the guys in the receiver room. Corey Davis, Braxton Berrios, Jeff Smith and Elijah Moore are trying to get him to keep his head up and not dwell on the past.

“They can read me,” Wilson said. “They make sure that they tap in and make sure I’m focused on the next play. I need that sometimes. I’m trying to work on it, for sure.”

There is excitement about the Jets’ receivers room, and Wilson is a big reason for it. He was considered the best receiver in the draft and has the ability to line up anywhere in this offense.

“He is very, very athletic,” Robert Saleh said. “He’s got unbelievable body control and power. He’s got great hands. He’s explosive in and out of his breaks. He is very wiggly in and out of his breaks. He is talented.

“There’s things that he’s going to have to learn as a rookie, especially with moving around in our offense. At the same time, we’re really excited about him and the direction he’s going.”

Saleh also loves how competitive Wilson is, and he wasn’t surprised that the young receiver was upset with himself after failing to come down with the football. Saleh believes Wilson will be successful because he’s never satisfied.

“You want to be counted on when the ball is elevated,” Saleh said. “It’s going to be one of those really cool catches. You want the quarterback to have confidence that he can put the ball in certain spots and you want to show off your range.

“I know he wants to make those plays not only for himself but for his quarterback and for his team. I love his mindset and I love the direction that he’s going and how important this game is to him. It’s why guys like him always succeed. It’s why those who love football succeed. Everything means something to him.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.