Xavien “Zay” Flowers was a three-star recruit that joined Boston College and saw action as a freshman that included 27 carries despite only totaling seven runs while in high school. He went on to lead the Eagles in receptions for his final three seasons while dominating their otherwise marginal receiving statistics.
Flowers’ impressive senior season saw him become a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and an All-ACC first-team wide receiver. He left Boston College as their all-time leader in career receptions (200), receiving yards (3,056 yards) and receiving touchdowns (29). By his senior season, Flowers’ skill shined with 78 receptions for 1,077 yards and twelve touchdowns, while no other receiver caught more than 27 passes for the Eagles last year.
Height: 5-9
Weight: 182 pounds
40 time: 4.42 seconds
The Boston College star enters the draft with plenty of appeal and potential, and as successful as he was, Flowers has yet to discover just how good he can be. He’s been somewhat hidden while playing for the 3-9 Eagles last year as their only weapon of note. He’s expected to be a Top-5 wideout in the NFL draft and a first-round value.
Table: Player NCAA stats (2019-22)
| Year | School | Games | Catch | Yards | Avg. | TD | Rush | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Boston College | 13 | 22 | 341 | 15.5 | 3 | 27 | 195 | 1 |
| 2020 | Boston College | 11 | 56 | 892 | 15.9 | 9 | 11 | 41 | 1 |
| 2021 | Boston College | 12 | 44 | 746 | 17.0 | 5 | 7 | 69 | 0 |
| 2022 | Boston College | 12 | 78 | 1077 | 13.8 | 12 | 12 | 40 | 0 |
Pros
- Dangerous in the open field
- Speed to score on any play
- Excelled despite playing with average quarterbacks
- Game-breaking big play ability
- Equally skilled playing inside or outside
- Tacks on plenty of yards after catch
- Adequate run blocker
- Sets up defenders using speed and route running
- Versatile receiver that can play all over field and run the ball
Cons
- Smaller hands than most
- Height/weight could be an issue on jump-balls or 50-50 throws
- Concentration drops
Fantasy outlook
The only knock on Zay Flowers – if there legitimately is any – is that he’s small at 5-9 and 182 pounds. The only notable receiver in the NFL last year who was less than 5-11 was Tyler Lockett (5-10, 182 pounds). Darnell Mooney (5-11, 173 pounds) and Jahan Dotson (5-11, 184 pounds) were two of the most successful smaller players and yet were two inches taller than Flowers. His lack of height immediately suggests that he’ll be limited to a slot role in the NFL, the place that so many wildly productive college receivers find themselves after their smaller stature becomes a bigger issue when playing on the line as an outside receiver.
Flowers was not only highly productive at Boston College, he did so while being the sole focus of opposing secondaries as a senior. And wherever Flowers lands in the NFL, he’ll automatically be playing with the best quarterback of his career. His ceiling hasn’t been reached yet, and playing on a team with other weapons to concern the defense will be an added bonus he did not get in college.
He’s another rookie wideout that would be best served landing on a team needing a slot receiver to catch quick-strike passes. He can provide his offensive coordinator with a new versatile weapon to use creatively. He’s a playmaker but he’s also unlikely to see a high volume of passes until he can prove to play bigger than his size suggests. Flowers also committed 24 drops in college and that cannot continue in the NFL, though again – he gets an immediate upgrade in quarterback no matter where he lands.
