Zay Flowers NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Baltimore Ravens' WR

HEIGHT: 5'9"

WEIGHT: 182

HAND: 9 1/4"

ARM: 29 1/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.42

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 35.5"

BROAD: 10'7"

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POSITIVES

— Excellent acceleration and speed. Can be the primary deep threat in an offense.

— Great explosiveness and savvy at the line of scrimmage.

— Great route-running skills. Especially effective in the underneath area and on routes that emphasize his quickness.

— Very good YAC threat. Wins primarily with speed, twitchiness and natural vision in the open field.

— High-volume player in Boston College's offense, where he was clearly trusted to run the show.

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NEGATIVES

— Small frame. Can get hemmed up rather easily if CBs can get hands on him.

— Below-average play strength. Can struggle to fight for the ball in traffic, as well as bounce off tacklers in tight spaces.

— Not a useful blocker. Will need a system that does not ask him to block often.

— Average ball skills. Knows how to locate the ball fairly well, but length and strength often limit him from making top-shelf catches.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 78 REC, 1,077 YDS (13.8 AVG), 12 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: September 11, 2000

— 3-star recruit in 2019

— 37 career starts over four seasons

— 2020 first-team All ACC; 2021 third-team All ACC; 2022 first-team All ACC

— Attended East-West Shrine Bowl

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OVERALL

Zay Flowers is a bundle of explosive athletic traits whose ceiling may be limited by his size and strength.

Flowers' game is centered around his speed. He flies off the line of scrimmage and hits top speed in a blink. Moreover, his top speed is terribly threatening. Save for the elite DeSean Jackson and Tyreek Hill tier of speed, Flowers is about as fast as they come and can take the top off a defense with even one misstep from the defensive back. He's not just a one-trick pony, though. Flowers is also very explosive and effortless in his change of direction, which shines when paired with his careful, controlled route-running skills. Flowers excels on underneath routes such as slants, speed outs and whip routes that really hone in on his quick feet and twitchiness.

Flowers is nasty with the ball in his hands, too. Though he won't bully anybody or fight through contact for yardage, his speed and quickness are more than enough. He has natural vision in the open field, too, which only accentuates his explosive traits. Boston College leaned into Flowers' ball-carrying skills by feeding him touches on jet motion plays and screens, typically a good indicator of players capable of handling an NFL workload.

Most of the drawbacks for Flowers are rooted in his size. At 5'9" and 182 pounds, he is both short and a bit light as far as superstar receivers go. There are exceptions, of course, but they are exceptions, not the rule. Flowers' size sort of limits him to the slot and the Z position, though he may be more of a slot in the NFL. Additionally, he can lose all his momentum when defenders get hands on him. It can be tough to do that, to be fair, but NFL defenders will be better equipped for it. Additionally, Flowers' lack of length and strength show up when he needs to go up for the ball. He tracks it just fine, but sometimes he struggles to actually go up for the ball through contact and finish the play.

Flowers is primed to be an effective slot/Z hybrid who thrives in quick game and down the field. His blend of elite speed, twitch and route-running chops will make him a tough cover, especially if his offense gives him help via motions and free releases from stacks and bunches. His size likely limits him from being a true No. 1, however. Flowers would be best in a shotgun-oriented, spread passing offense that can highlight his skills in space and down the field.

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GRADE: 7.5 (Potential Impact Player, Round 2)

OVERALL RANK: 46

POSITION RANK: WR4

PRO COMPARISON: Emmanuel Sanders

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen