Each year, Olamide Zaccheaus has continued to grow in his role with the Falcons.
In his fourth year in the NFL – all with Atlanta after going undrafted in 2019 – Zaccheaus attributes his steady, consistent growth to the experience he garners from game to game.
“I feel more comfortable, like things are a little bit slower,” Zaccheaus said. “I just see things differently than I have in the past.”
Specifically, he takes different growth focuses and works on them constantly to continue cultivating his game.
“After each year, I always look at my body of work,” Zaccheaus said. “Look at the things you could’ve done better and the things that you did well that you want to bring into the next season and just build off of that. I feel like I’ve been getting better mentally and physically.”
As such, his statistical production has continued to increase. In 2019 as an undrafted free agent, he had 115 total receiving yards. In 2020, he had 274, and he had 408 last season.
This year, he is set to accumulate more than twice the yards from last season. He is on track to have more than 900 yards. Zaccheaus had a season-high 58 yards on four catches, including a 37-yarder, in the Falcons’ 28-14 win over the 49ers on Sunday.
He attributes much of his success this year to the receiver room as a whole, rather than any individual player. He said from rookie Drake London to Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Pitts, the passing attack works together.
“We’re all in this together,” Zaccheaus said. “It’s not like somebody opened it up for one person or vice versa. We all open everything up for each other. That’s just how our offense is, and that’s why we’re successful. We all do it for each other.”
This is to be expected from a wide receiver room that has such a strong bond with one another, according to London.
“It’s been great; our wide receiver room is very, very close,” London said of how the room’s bond helps them on the field. “We got a lot of guys who are similar in ways. Similar in how we approach the game and how we approach life in general. So, it’s been pretty smooth.”
The receiving corps also looks up to Zaccheaus as a leader in the locker room.
“It’s great to have somebody with that experience, to learn from a guy like that who’s so smart,” London said.
Zaccheaus wasn’t drafted even though he was a first-team All-ACC selection his senior year at Virginia. He found a home with the Falcons.
His teammates, including London, see that as an inspiration to work even harder at their crafts.
“He was an eighth-round draft pick, but he comes in and puts his head down,” London said.
Being a four-year veteran with the Falcons, Zaccheaus has seen his share of roster turnover. One position he had not seen much change in was at quarterback – that is, until this season.
When the Falcons moved on from longtime quarterback Matt Ryan, the offense expected an adjustment to Marcus Mariota.
Zaccheaus and his teammates have adjusted to Mariota rather quickly, but it’s a continued journey.
“It’s always a work in progress,” Zaccheaus said. “It’s about building that new chemistry, especially with a new quarterback.”
According to Zaccheaus, they can work with Mariota all they want in practice, but the games are where the connection is truly fostered.
“It’s always different, practice isn’t a game,” Zaccheaus said. “But, as we get more game reps, we get more comfortable with each other and continue to build that relationship and that chemistry.”
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