Why Seahawks should take QB Bailey Zappe in 2022 NFL draft
By Lee Vowell
Whether the Seattle Seahawks need to replace Russell Wilson in a couple of years or not, drafting either his replacement or his backup is the right thing to do. And Bailey Zappe could be a hidden gem in the 2022 NFL draft.
Of course, there will be lots of mock drafts between now and when the draft actually occurs in late April and teams always need quarterbacks so that makes guessing where a quarterback will go difficult. But while this year’s class of quarterbacks doesn’t offer a lot of high-end talent, the draft class is long on quarterbacks who can play in the NFL.
Think of most of the quarterbacks more as Baker Mayfield-types than Aaron Rodgers ones. Mayfield is a good quarterback but he probably isn’t going to lead a team to the Super Bowl on his own. Rodgers sometimes has won games despite his team.
Seahawks should address the future with quarterback Bailey Zappe
Bailey Zappe, with the right amount of time to learn a system, can be a good NFL quarterback. He is very accurate (Zappe completed 69.3 percent of his 687 pass attempts in 2021 at Western Kentucky) and doesn’t turn the ball over. Zappe threw 62 touchdown passes (seriously) this past season but threw only 11 interceptions. His interception percentage was 1.6 percent of his attempts.
Time and again when you watch Bailey Zappe he is dropping passes in the bucket.
— Andrew Harbaugh (@AndrewHarbaugh_) January 29, 2022
Excellent placement and touch on his passes, especially his deep passes. pic.twitter.com/MYegkfwsE5
A quarterback can have an electric arm and tons of athletic talent but if that quarterback isn’t accurate and turns the ball over, he isn’t worth starting. Zappe will one day be worth starting. His arm strength is adequate, his footwork in the pocket is solid and will improve with NFL coaching,
Zappe could be drafted anywhere from the second round on. According to Pro Football Focus, Zappe is projected to be a fourth round choice. Seattle currently has a second round pick and a single third round choice but two fourth round picks. If Zappe is still around at pick 107, Seattle should choose Zappe.
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I am not saying I want Russell Wilson to go anywhere but Wilson is a free agent after 2023. Currently, the only backup to Wilson on the Seahawks roster is Jacob Eason. If Zappe is chosen, he can backup for two seasons while learning how to be an NFL quarterback and worst-case he starts in 2024. Should Seattle take a chance on a quarterback who just set the collegiate record for passing yards (5,967 yards) and touchdown passes in a season? Yes, they should.