Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers to the New York Giants is rapidly becoming a common projection in early 2023 mock drafts.
ESPN’s Todd McShay was the latest to jump on that bandwagon, sending the undersized receiver to the Giants in his post-Super Bowl LVII mock.
We saw a run on corners in the middle of the first round, and now we get another on receivers. The Giants’ wideout issues are well documented, as they relied on Darius Slayton, Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins to carry the load last season. Wan’Dale Robinson will be returning from a torn ACL, but Slayton and James will join Sterling Shepard (also had a torn ACL) in free agency. It looks like Daniel Jones will be back in New York, but will GM Joe Schoen improve the supporting cast?
I really like Flowers’ skill set. He’s elusive in the open field and has the speed to separate from coverage. Last season, he caught 78 balls for 1,077 yards and 12 TDs while forcing a bunch of missed tackles.
Flowers is a speedy, shifty target who would provide a lot of value on the inside. But the Giants already have Wan’Dale Robinson and expectations remain that they will eventually bring Sterling Shepard back.
At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Flowers is too small to line up outside and take on the larger NFC East cornerbacks.
There’s no denying that Flowers has a ton of talent and explosiveness, but he doesn’t fit the role of a true X receiver and that’s precisely what the Giants need to find this offseason.
