Zay Flowers, Boston College (5’9”, 182)
What Scouts Say:
He caught half of his contested catch targets in 2022, and had a 11% drop rate. He has a slot frame and many worry he will be limited to a slot role. Flowers is electric at all 3 levels, and is an open-field demon. Incredible change of direction ability, route fakes, and acceleration. Insane dominator share, 29%, 34%, 36% target share his last 3 seasons. He has ball skills and speed, a great route runner, and runs well after the catch. His frame is sub-optimal and struggles with press coverage. Has drop issues as well.
What We Saw:
Tony:
Watching Zay Flowers across three years really shows how clearly he has developed his game and skillset during his time in college. From a smaller dude that just caught deep balls to a guy that can take short passes to the house while also catching those deep balls, Zay Flowers has shown the development ability to continue to grow and get better at the next level. He is dominant with the ball in his hands and cuts seamlessly across the grain to get to the next level of defenders. His ludicrous target share in college should tell you what you need to know: Zay Flowers is a target hog with experience being a focal point but has the ability to be impactful on limited touches as well. He’s going to get day 2 draft capital, and where he lands will tell us a lot about how immediate of an impact he can have in the league.
Shane:
I’m convinced if Zay had a competent QB he’d be in the conversation of top 3 WR this year, given the talent pool and average physical size of the class. The man is electric and can play all over the field, we’ll see how that transitions to The NFL when guys are a lot bigger and more experienced at dealing with speed. Very nimble and quick cuts on routes to create separation and then burn past the defender to create space. Can make insane grabs but then has easy drops, but drops aren’t an accurate measurable in my opinion, that can be taught over time. Ultimately his size will restrict his ability to stay on the field, but a team is going to take a gamble on him, probably higher than we all want to admit due to his athletic ability. He crushed the combine and will be moved up in both real and dynasty drafts.
Player Comparison:
Peter Warrick/Darnell Mooney
