Zay Flowers  |  Boston College 5’9” 182 lbs.  | 09/11/2022 (22)

Zay Flowers was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, becoming the third Wide Receiver and 22nd overall player in the 2023 NFL Draft.

COLLEGE PRODUCTION

Zay Flowers began his college career at Boston College by flashing as both a rusher and a receiver. As a freshman, Flowers logged 22 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns while also logging 27 rushing attempts for 195 yards and another score. This season would end up being his most productive as a rusher as going forward Zay Flowers would be used more in a pass-catching role. His breakout came the following year as a sophomore when Flowers caught 56 passes for 892 yards receiving. A small drop-off was experienced his junior year but many believe that had more to do with injuries at the quarterback position and less to do with his skills. Zay Flowers closed out his collegiate career with a 78-catch season with 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

FILM

Turning on the film, Zay Flowers immediately flashes with his quickness and speed. Many times on tape a defender with a good angle just gets dusted trying to stop him before he gets the corner. That coupled with his ability to change directions so quickly makes him a tough assignment for any defender. His speed and quickness show off both when he has the ball in hand and when he is running routes. Despite being used on the outside a decent amount on film, he will more likely be at home in the slot at the NFL level

There are some negatives though, due to his size you can see defenders take him off of his route. His route running could also use some work. He tends to lean or slow up when he is running a route involving a cut, making it possible to decipher his route before he makes his break. NFL DBs watch more tape than college ones do and will be able to jump routes. This can be worked out with some coaching. Flowers also needs to work on getting open when the play breaks down and you go into a scramble drill. He seems to find defenders instead of finding space.

ATHLETIC TESTING

Zay Flowers clocked an impressive 4.42 seconds on the 40-yard dash, confirming the speed that we saw on tape. He also logged decent numbers in the vertical (35.5”) and broad jump (10’7”). Overall Zay Flowers scored an 8.29 in RAS, which implies above-average athleticism at his position. These scores are size relative so I would be pretty happy with these scores for a guy his size. 

DRAFT ANALYSIS 

Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Great

Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Poor

Flowers was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. 

FANTASY INSIGHTS

Pre-draft I had Zay Flowers in the same tier as Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston, that does remain true with his capital but his landing spot moves me to the bottom of this tier. I am not here to bash Lamar Jackson but I need to see a good fantasy receiver in Baltimore before I’m going to start buying in on it. While it is true he has not gotten elite talent at the position, I cannot convince myself there is more upside with Flowers. Due to the lack of a top end in this draft, you should see Zay Flowers going off the board at the back half of the 1st round of rookie drafts. 

Thank you for tuning in to DFF’s 2023 NFL Draft Coverage! You can find me on Twitter @DougHarrelson. Stay tuned as we break down every fantasy-relevant pick during the draft. Please consider becoming our yearly DFF subscription so we can deliver top-notch analysis and fantasy breakdowns. Only $1.67 per month ($19.99 per year) gets you our 105-page Dynasty Rookie Draft Guide, access to the DFF Discord for free personalized Dynasty team advice, hundreds of Dynasty articles and so much more.