Senior Bowl 2022: Every NFL team’s ideal prospect fit to target

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bailey Zappe, QB, Western Kentucky

The crop of quarterbacks at the 2022 Senior Bowl is intriguing enough, but one player that is not getting the type of attention he probably should be is Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe.

Although he only had one season as the Hilltoppers’ starting quarterback, he posted the kind of numbers we’re used to seeing for two-year and sometimes even three-year starters.

He attempted 687 passes in 2021, completing a whopping 69.3 percent of them. Even considering how much WKU utilizes the short passing game as an “extension” of the running game with screen passes and quick throws, that’s an impressive figure.

He also came only 33 yards short of throwing for 6,000 yards on the season with an NCAA record 62 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.

On the surface, those numbers look like they could rival Joe Burrow’s 2019 season at LSU, but if you were to extrapolate Burrow’s number to 687 passing attempts, they would blow Zappe’s out of the water.

Still, a 62-touchdown season is nothing to scoff at and if Tom Brady is no longer playing football in 2022, the Bucs are going to want (need) options beyond just Kyle Trask and Blaine Gabbert.

They have the weapons at receiver, and a QB like Zappe who thrives on getting the ball out quickly could really have success in Tampa Bay as Brady’s potential successor.