Steelers NFL Draft Series: QB Bailey Zappe Interview & Profile

Listen to Bailey Zappe's Full Interview by Pressing the Play Button!

That’ll play at the next level. 

His next four plays resulted in three quick screens for a net loss of 1 yard, and a sack. Perfection is unattainable, right?

He made up for those in a flash, with what I like to call a “20 cent” ball. That’s a double-dime. Because the throw wasn’t just worthy of one dime. Urban Dictionary defines a dime as “to give a nice pass.” This was better than “nice.”

His mechanics weren’t anything to write home about in this contest, as he tossed the previous pass off his back foot as a result of anticipating pressure that didn’t get all that close to him. However, his ball placement is perfect, as he fits a dart right in between the corner and a linebacker dropping back into zone coverage. His receiver does the rest, and put him just 4 TD’s away from the record. 

An obvious knock on Zappe is that 100% of his throws last season came from the shotgun. WKU ran an up tempo offense that was predicated on using quick screens to open up the deep passing game. I was agitated when the next three plays were once again quick screens. You can attribute the fact that he broke the record for completions and pass attempts because of this style.

His third TD toss was just a really bad read that ended up in a fortuitous result. This delayed tight-end screen would be intercepted by an NFL linebacker 99 out of 100 times:

I mentioned previously that in this game he made history. The record breaker came on a quick slant from the App. State 10-yard line with single coverage.

Considering the slow start, he still finished 33-47 for 422 yards and 6 TDs. The Hilltoppers also won the game. 

Zappe’s competition wasn’t exactly the cream of the crop. WKU's schedule was largely comprised of teams such as Old Dominion, Charlotte, Rice - and so on and so forth. But last October, Zappe and Western Kentucky traveled to Michigan State, who at the time was the number 9 ranked team in the country. The Hilltoppers lost 48-31, but Zappe showed that he can thrive against elite division 1 defenders:

He continued to debunk that narrative at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. He finished 8-13 for 103 yards, while competing with the likes of Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, and Sam Howell in terms of QB jostling. 

My favorite quote from my interview with Zappe came when I asked him about the big question on everyone’s minds: What do you say to those who feel your stats were exclusively due to your scheme? 

“‘I’d say look at guys like Patrick Mahomes. Everyone considers him to be the best QB in the league right now and he was in the same system as I was.” 

He mentioned that his offensive coordinator and QB coach last year at Western Kentucky, Zach Kittley, was also instrumental in the development of Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech. Kittley worked under former Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Kittley is now back at Texas Tech, after accepting their offensive coordinator position after the season. He and Zappe remain incredibly close. 

Nobody is saying he's Patrick Mahomes, or even close. But I think that it holds merit.

What I like about Zappe: mobility, gunslinger-mentality, above-average deep ball, insanely quick release, sound decision maker. 

What I didn’t like about Zappe: inflated stats due to repetitive quick screen game, inconsistent feel for pass rush, and gunslinger mentality, which is both a pro and a con. He’s never going to hang his head over a mistake, however, his overconfidence can sometimes get him in trouble. 

Projected Draft Spot: Late 5th round

Where I’d take him: Early 4th round

Games Watched: Michigan State, Appalachian State. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of the Steelers’ draft series, which includes both a player-write up, and an interview with the corresponding dude. I believe this is unique to most Steelers’ draft coverage that you’ll see in Pittsburgh. So tell a friend to tell a friend!

Check out previous profiles, and be sure to remain on the lookout for more to come! (roll tide?)