Eagles wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus evaluation and projection

Among his laundry list of tasks this offseason, Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman vies to find an ideal third wideout in newly minted offensive coordinator Brian Johnson’s offense. Inking 25-year-old wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus to a one-year, $1,232,500 deal, the local wideout marks Roseman’s first attempt at filling that hole.

Olamide Zaccheaus currently plays an offensive skill position as a member of a Philadelphia-area football team and a decade ago he was a skill position player on a Philadelphia-area football team. A 247Sports 3-star running back/defensive back at esteemed St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, Zaccheaus helped guide St. Joe’s Prep to the 2014 PIAA Class AAAA football championship title in his senior season. Zaccheaus picked off former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci in St. Joe’s Prep’s end zone to seal a 49–41 victory.

Zaccheaus held offers from five Division I schools, including a Philadelphia-area football team in Temple University, but ultimately chose the Virginia Cavaliers.

Zaccheaus contributed in both offensive facets as a true freshman, racking up 216 receiving yards on 21 receptions and 262 rushing yards on 33 carries. Truly tapping into his all-purpose role, Zaccheaus also tossed a 15-yard touchdown.

Zaccheaus near-exclusively became a wideout in head coach Mike London’s offense during the 2016 season, operating as a slot wide receiver, totaling 51 receptions on 75 targets for 584 yards and seven touchdowns.

Maybe the new assignment unearthed traits Virginia’s coaching staff noticed, portending potential upside as a receiving threat.

Zaccheaus functioned as quarterback Bryce Perkins’ main receiving funnel in 2018. Among all DI wideouts, Zaccheaus’ 127 targets were tied for 12th in the nation. Zaccheaus was a high school running back, just four years prior, and he morphed into a high-volume receiving target as a collegiate senior.

The 5'8", 188-pound wideout made his bones as Perkins’ short outlet. Zaccheaus finished as the ACC’s third-leading wideout in receiving yards at 1,063, first in receptions (94), tied for second in receiving touchdowns (nine), and tied for fifth in yards-per-route-run (2.65) with current Las Vegas wide receiver Jakobi Meyers during the 2018 season.*

*min. 50 targets

Zaccheaus’ average depth of target (ADOT) sat at a mere 7.0 yards, but the senior’s solid run-after-catch (RAC) potential peppered his highlights. He led the ACC with 619 yards after the catch, and his difference over №2 Wake Forest’s Greg Dortch was the same mark between Dortch and №10’s Dazz Newsome (UNC).

Zaccheaus’ receiving diet, during three games I charted plus his 2018 highlight package, featured slants, flat routes and curl/sit routes. Naturally, having the former running back handle an expansive route tree would be a steep learning curve.

There’s a fair argument that Zaccheaus accumulated a significant amount of YAC due to his route distribution. However, Zaccheaus flourished with space afforded to him. While Zaccheaus wasn’t regularly taking house calls, this particular clip is a microcosm of his offensive value.

Zaccheaus not only plastered his name amongst the ACC’s elite in multiple important receiving categories, he also placed among the nation’s best in a peculiar category. Missed tackles forced would be a statistic more synonymous with running backs, but receivers can flip short gains into a potential home run. (See clip above.)

Here’s the glut of NFL talent who ranked highly in MTF for 2018’s season: Rondale Moore (1st), Laviska Shenault Jr. (2nd), Deebo Samuel (tied-7th), Jayden Reed (tied-9th), Marquise Brown (tied-9th), Andy Isabella (tied-9th) Jerry Jeudy (tied-14th), N’Keal Harry (tied-14th) and A.J. Brown (tied-14th).

All were selected in the NFL draft’s first two rounds.

If you consider Zaccheaus had more receptions than everyone except Moore and Isabella, his 22 missed tackles forced, which ranked sixth, lose a tad of their luster. If you divide the receivers’ MTF by their receptions, you can find how many missed tackles they forced per reception. Zaccheaus finished eighth amongst the 10 pros, but placing sixth amongst all qualifying receivers in total MTF is an impressive accomplishment. This high figure could also be a byproduct of his running back origins.

Touching on this further, Zaccheaus located advantageous running angles when creating space — either bouncing outside or juking to unlock an opening.

Conversely, the senior displayed several red flags that hindered his NFL prospects. First, Zaccheaus’ wasn’t heavily utilized on targets 10 yards and farther. He ranked 358th in intermediate (10–19 yards) target percentage and 310th in deep target percentage (20 yards and farther), when accounting for players with 10 or more targets in each field. If we account for the 2017 season, to acquire a larger sample, Zaccheaus had a lower combined target percentage in the aforementioned areas.

Zaccheaus’ two deep catches came on a 36-yard sluggo (slant + go route) and 35-yard post route, where he had free releases and no contact prior to the catch point. Free releases and minimal contact benefit diminutive wideouts. Zaccheaus regularly experienced both a free release and no contact on countless occasions, from the film I saw, which would draw fear and uncertainty from NFL decision-makers. Fitting Zaccheaus in the slot would assuage these concerns, to an extent, but boundary corners would blanket a 5'8", 188-pound wide receiver.

Additionally, Zaccheaus didn’t break with intent at the top of his stem on some of his catches.

Despite entering the 2019 NFL Draft as an accomplished wide receiver from a P5 conference, Zaccheaus ultimately went undrafted. The Atlanta Falcons signed Zaccheaus, along with three other wide receivers, to an undrafted free agent contract and his NFL legacy would take its roots with future Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Ryan. Atlanta’s brass bet on Olamide Zaccheaus; now it was Zaccheaus’ turn to bet on himself.

Zaccheaus faced a razor-thin margin for error entering the league as a UDFA. While not breaking onto the scene with total aplomb, he gradually earned targets over the past two seasons. My evaluation encompasses four games of Zaccheaus’ 2021–2022 campaign and a large sample of his past season.

2022 Statistics (among WR with min. 61 targets):

Receptions: 40 (67th), Receiving Yards: 533 (59th), Touchdowns: three (Tied-45th), Yards-Per-Reception: 13.3 (tied-22nd), Yards-After-Catch: 5.1 (tied-11th), Contested Catches: two (last), Drop Percentage: 2.4 percent (tied-12th)

Role:

Zaccheaus worked the short and intermediate areas as a secondary receiving option in head coach Arthur Smith’s system. Zaccheaus situated primarily in the slot or in tight-outside alignment. Smith & Co. constantly motioned Zaccheaus horizontally across the formation, and sometimes through orbit motion, but the sample produced a low statistical output (14 rushing yards on one carry).

Zaccheaus’ bread and butter came on intermediate over routes and he’d provide a boundary outlet through comeback routes, flat routes and an over.

Zaccheaus caught passes from a 37-year-old version of Matt Ryan, 2022–23’s 24th-ranked EPA/dropback quarterback in Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder.

Prominent Strengths:

Zaccheaus’ ball carrier background pops on film in different facets. Tracing back to our favorite metric, missed tackles forced, Zaccheaus forced seven on his receptions this past season. He broke consecutive arm tackles from Carolina cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (6–1, 200 lbs.) and Donte Jackson (5–10, 180 lbs.) on a 17-yard reception at just 5'8". Additionally, he squirmed past a 6'0", 209-pound John Johnson and safety Kyle Hamilton (6–4, 219 lbs.).

Zaccheaus extends on receptions and combats defenders; he imbues grit when targeted, despite his height.

Zaccheaus’ defies his 5'8" frame by displaying moments of solid extension and corrals passes while running horizontally. His 2.4 drop percentage carries some noise, given his route tree, but Zaccheaus has executed in difficult situations.

Secondary Strengths:

Atlanta sprouted Zaccheaus’ route tree this past season. He recorded a 27.9 percent target rate in intermediate routes (10–19 yards) in 2022–23, comparatively to a 16.5 mark at UVA in 2018–19, and did a modicum of damage running over routes.

Prominent Deficiencies:

Zaccheaus rarely needed a release package off the line of scrimmage facing man coverage. Maybe Smith featured Zaccheaus on motion so he could burst off the line, but that’s a generalization. Zaccheaus didn’t display optimism that he’s threatening corners in that area’s extremely small sample. Zaccheaus’ Relative Athletic Score, via the venerable Kent Lee Platte, showcases that he possesses “good” agility. Eliminating cushion upfield might compensate for his shallow release toolbox.

Zaccheaus, also, rarely ran detailed routes. His receiving diet comprised primarily of generally basic routes. Documented earlier, a portion of his receptions came traversing horizontally across the field, via overs and drags, and a large chunk of his success derived from those avenues.

Can that utilization complement A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goeddert? Probably. Is that method extending Philadelphia’s offensive ceiling? No.

Additionally, Zaccheaus’ diminutive stature will hinder him. Although slot corners aren’t as physically imposing as their boundary counterparts, with Zaccheaus most likely facing them in 2023, they’ll be able to disrupt Zaccheaus, on most occasions, either with hand usage or at the catch point. Zaccheaus recorded a paltry 64.1 grade against man coverage last season, per PFF.

When examining the full scope of Zaccheaus’ athletic testing, he only registered an elite grade in the Broad Jump, which explains his tackle breaking savvy. However, when gleaning positives, his combine performance is littered with “good” marks.

Zaccheaus’ best mark among his long speed, acceleration and agility is his 4.49 40-yard dash. Comparatively to incumbent third wide receiver Quez Watkins, Watkins sports a blistering 4.35 40-yard-dash time. Coupled with his 20-yard-dash and 10-yard-split marks, which eclipse the 9.30 rank all-time, Watkins will reach his destination quicker, eliminate cushion faster and threaten defenses more significantly on jet motions or fly motions into flat routes. Zaccheaus heavily motioned with Atlanta, but Watkins outclasses him in this realm.

Among Zaccheaus’ 30 receptions I charted, none came via the go route. The size and lack of track speed combination renders Zaccheaus null if you’re sending him on a nine route. His longest reception last season came on a 45-yard over route and subsequent YAC opportunity.

Zaccheaus, additionally, won’t be contributing as a run blocker. He only sustained four blocks among the 16 I charted and recorded a poor 47.8 RBLK grade (71st among WR with 150 efforts this past season). His losses comprised of upright technique and lackadaisical effort.

Secondary Deficiencies:

With constant free releases over the sample I viewed, I wonder how Zaccheaus fares when jammed and slot corners reroute him.

Zaccheaus showcased merely adequate agility. As alluded to earlier, there are bigger home-run potential threats in the NFL.

Role with Eagles:

Deon Cain, Jalen Reagor and Britain Covey paced Philadelphia’s wide receivers last season in preseason receptions. Zaccheaus may be the target magnet in 2023. He’ll tussle with Watkins for slot looks from, primarily, Marcus Mariota and Tanner McKee, as Zaccheaus already has a rapport catching passes from the former Atlanta Falcon.

Anticipate Zaccheaus maintaining his assignment of slashing horizontally while supplementing as a boundary option. Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson might pair Zaccheaus with a downfield threat for additional diversity.

Verdict:

The Eagles’ receiving nucleus centers around Brown (26 in 2023–24 season), Smith (25) and Dallas Goedert (28). Whomever completes that quartet doesn’t have to be a world beater, as running back D’Andre Swift’s catching prowess further benefits the aforementioned trio.

Nick Sirianni and Brian Johnson could face a quandary of what role they’re coveting from their WR3: consistent short-to-intermediate release valve or vertical/horizontal speed threat.

Philadelphia already wields a reliable short outlet in Goedert, who’s also produced two straight seasons with a contested catch percentage over 64.0.

Swift entering the fold allows Johnson to dial up screen packages that collected dust with Miles Sanders as their featured back in 2022–23. Swift and Kenneth Gainwell have to be accounted for on third downs due to their receiving gravity.

Gravity is a concept introduced in sports discussion dating back to 2012 and can be applicable when theorizing who could be the missing piece in Philadelphia’s offensive puzzle. Occupying safeties with a potential looming deep shot, whether it’s a go, fade or crosser, creates natural space for intermediate routes. Brown and Smith would cosign that reality.

Horizontally, incorporating a jet sweep concept for RPO packages will add another riddle defenses have to solve. Even if there’s one defender flowing, an elite agility athlete commands attention.

Between having sufficient options in the short and intermediate game and Zaccheaus sporting an average athletic profile, he’s not the optimal WR3 candidate. He’ll likely be among the team’s leaders in targets this postseason and cut before Philadelphia’s regular-season opener.

Through cap space, their deep war chest of 2024 draft picks and training camp/preseason roster cuts, Philadelphia’s options are aplenty.

*stat attribution: pff.com*