2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Zay Flowers

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Zay Flowers, 5-10/180 Wide Receiver Boston College

Zay Flowers Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous playmaker

Routinely makes difficult catches

Threat to score and rip off long gains on any touch

Superb hands

Natural hands catcher

Smooth route-runner

Has a burst out of his breaks

Consistently generates separation

Sudden

Challenges a defense vertically

Finds soft spots in zone

Superb on double moves

Speed to go vertical

Tough and competitive

Tracks the ball well

Excellent on 50-50 passes for a small receiver

Impressive catch radius for a small wideout

Dangerous runner after the catch

Elusiveness to dodge tacklers

Special teams return ability

Weaknesses:

Undersized

Light

Short

Will have problems with long NFL corners

Could be limited to being a slot receiver

Could have a hard time getting off contact

Needs to get stronger

Summary: Boston College has struggled in recent years, and part of that has stemmed from injuries at the quarterback position. Despite that, Flowers was a steady playmaker and an impressive wideout. The 2020 season was shortened by COVID-19, but Flowers still managed to have breakout sophomore season. hauling in 56 passes for 892 yards and three touchdowns. In 2021. he recorded 44 catches for 746 yards and five touchdowns while playing the majority of the season with a backup quarterback. In 2022, Flowers recorded 78 receptions for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. If Flowers had been playing for Alabama or Ohio State, he could have had a massive year and been one of the most acclaimed wide receivers in the nation.

There is a lot to like about Flowers for the NFL because he is dynamic receiving weapon. Flowers is a explosive playmaker who is a threat to score and rip off long gains on any reception. Given his speed off the line and his second gear, Flowers is fast through his route and possesses burst out of his breaks to consistently create separation. He is dangerous on double moves thanks to his route running and suddenness, which allow him to get open downfield while challenging defenses vertically. Flowers has superb hands and is a natural hands catcher who is very reliable at securing ball.

Flowers is dangerous once he haas the ball in his hands because he is shifty runner who will juke defenders and weave his way downfield for extra yards. Via excellent body control, leaping ability, and secure hands, he makes some incredible catches to bail out inaccurate throws. While Flowers is not a big wideout, his ability to make leaping grabs makes him outstanding on 50-50 passes while also giving his quarterback a larger catch radius than that of most small receivers. Flowers brings a gritty and tenacious style to the field, providing feisty presence energized his teammate as well as augmenting his big-play ability.

Flowers face some limitations for the NFL in terms of being short and light. He could have problems with longer cornerbacks, and getting off jams and reroutes could be an issue for him as a pro. His size might limit him to mainly being a slot receiver in the NGL.

At worst, Flowers looks likely to be a second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has a chance of ending up as a first-round pick.



Player Comparison: T.Y. Hilton Hilton (5-10, 183) and Flowers are almost identical in size and bring similar styles of play to the field.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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