Your mileage may vary, of course, but here's a takeaway from my very recent experience. Herk unit in a relatively unpopular part of the country received over 60 applications and hired four. Of these four, two are Army rotary flying regional jets at an airline, one is a CFII approaching 2,000 hours, and the fourth is enlisted with a four year aviation degree and is an instrument-rated private pilot.
What I'm getting at is that this isn't the most desirable unit (location, airframe, etc.), hired more applicants than average (based on what I've seen), and still required at least an instrument ticket. All four hires were local to the area, meaning that an out-of-town applicant would likely require even stronger qualifications. Going off of what has happened in the past does not accurately reflect the current situation, I believe COVID's effect on civilian pilot hiring is largely to blame.