One of the most exciting playmakers in the entire 2023 NFL Draft is next up on our scouting report series. Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers is another prospect in this class that falls under the category “tiny but mighty.”
The Boston College product enters the league as one of the most experienced and productive weapons in the class. Over the last three years, the All-ACC wide receiver has totaled 2,715 receiving yards and 27 total touchdowns.
A large reason for his success is due to his natural ability to separate from the opposition. In fact, you could make a strong argument Flowers is the best at using his explosive blend of speed, quickness, and savviness to create extra space for himself to work with.
This article is going to break down exactly what it is that makes Flowers such an intriguing prospect while also providing fair reasons to be concerned about his overall potential.
Before we get started, as always, a quick reminder that all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions after spending the last few months studying each of these individuals.
🧵 Here is the first position group of my updated rankings. I will be posting different positions throughout the week, with one final update coming on Draft Week.
This is how I graded and ranked the top 10 WR prospects as of right now#2023NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/kmuIsy5A3h
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) April 4, 2023
Flowers is somewhat of a popular choice amongst Titans fans, so let’s find out exactly what it is that makes someone like Flowers such an exciting prospect.
Measurables
- Height: 5’9’’
- Weight: 182 pounds
- Hand Size: 9 ¼’’
- Arm length: 29 ¼
- 40-time: 4.42
- Relative Athletic Score: 8.30
Zay Flowers is a WR prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 8.29 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 512 out of 2989 WR from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/mBOdSFhkqT #RAS pic.twitter.com/S0GLs9IhkZ
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 31, 2023
College accolades
- Two-time First-Team All-ACC (2020, 2022)
- Third-Team All-ACC (2021)
2022 Stats
- Receptions: 78
- Receiving yards: 1,077
- Yards per reception: 13.8
- Yards per route run: 2.22
- Drop rate: 10.3 percent
- Deep catches: 12 (500 yards)
- Screen catches: 20 (72 yards)
Grades, Projections and Rankings
- Overall Grade: 83.6 (first round)
- Ceiling Projection: Mid-first
- Floor Projection: Early second
- Position Rank: No. 2
- Consensus Rank: No. 4
Reasons to Buy In
- Dynamic and electric playmaker in space who is capable of producing video game-like splash plays.
- Can play both inside and outside — since the start of the 2020 season, approximately 36 percent of his pass snaps came in the slot, while 63% of his snaps took place on the outside.
- Quick-twitch athlete who can put defenders in a blender.
- Mismatch nightmare if used correctly (formations, motions, etc.).
- Plays much faster than his 4.42 speed on tape, often looking like the fastest guy on the field on any given day.
- Explosive weapon after the catch; he knows where the open grass is, and he works to get there.
- Sudden route-runner who excels at changing his tempos to attack leverages and constantly keeps defenders guessing.
- One of, if not the best separators in the class.
Areas of Concern
- Smaller wide receiver who could get bullied by physical and/or stronger defensive backs who are going to challenge him at the line of scrimmage.
- Doesn’t have a big catch radius for QBs to target.
- Route-running isn’t nearly as refined as you would like; has a bad habit of rounding off his routes instead of making sharp breaks.
- Struggled in single coverage, receiving a man-coverage grade of 58.3 in 2022.
- Does his fantastic ball skills a disservice by combining them with inconsistent hands that dropped over 10 percent of his targets last year.
- Needs to be more detail-oriented with his routes — appears to be in a hurry instead of being technically sound.
- Won’t offer much in the run-blocking department in the pros.
- Could do a better job of identifying the soft spots in zone coverages.
Fit with the Titans
Earlier this offseason, the Titans stated that they wanted to get faster as a team. Well, selecting someone like Flowers would definitely help to accomplish that goal.
Simply put, the Boston College wideout is one of the most electrifying playmakers in the class, and even that feels like it’s completely underselling his abilities.
Some of the splash plays Flowers produces are absolutely ridiculous.
However, Flowers is much more than a gadget player. Not only is he capable of lining up anywhere on the field, but he can be a real matchup nightmare for an opposing defense if he’s used correctly.
When it comes to his route-running, he could use some overall refinement, but he’s still one of the most manipulative guys in the draft who can create separation with ease.
Flowers excels at putting defensive backs in a bind by attacking their leverage and forcing them to accurately identify what he’s doing in live action.
Guessing wrong is a recipe for disaster for a defender, as it often puts them in a disadvantageous position where they’re forced to trail someone as explosive as he is.
Flowers’ addition to a receivers room that already includes Treylon Burks would immediately give the Titans two talented wideouts at the top of their depth chart, one of which would now be capable of taking the top off a defense at any given moment.
With that said, don’t let his size fool you. He may not have the biggest catch radius, but he consistently utilizes fantastic ball skills despite his smaller stature (5-foot-9, 182 pounds).
As far as the run game goes, no, the B.C. wideout isn’t going to add much when it comes to his blocking, but anyone that takes Flowers with the intention of making him block is completely doing it wrong.
Also, the former ACC standout will have to find a way to counter aggressive defensive backs at the next level who are undoubtedly going to challenge him at the line of scrimmage.
Thankfully, the moment he establishes himself as a consistent threat who can’t just be pushed around, Flowers’ speed and quickness will eventually back defenses up.
Once he earns that type of respect on a consistent basis, it’s truly going to be a sight to behold.
If the Titans were to ultimately trade back inRound 1 to acquire more picks, Flowers would be one of my main preferences for the team to target.
Check out more scouting reports from Shaun Calderon
