Zay Flowers, WR Boston College: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Flowers was a three-star recruit from NSU University School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in the class of 2019

Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers has earned back-to-back All-Conference selections, and he’s looking for the hat trick in 2022. With Phil Jurkovec returning from injury, Flowers has his best shot at posting a 1,000-yard season and punching hit ticket to the 2023 NFL Draft.

Visit my Twitter account @Sam_Teets33 for more updates and previews of the 2023 NFL Draft Guide.

Zay Flowers, WR Boston College: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior slot and outside receiver from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Background: Flowers was a three-star recruit from NSU University School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 1,202 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,049 for On3.com. Flowers was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he tallied 38 receptions for 652 yards and eight touchdowns. He also recorded two interceptions. The previous year, Flowers snagged 48 passes for 631 yards and ten touchdowns. He helped NSU University make back-to-back Florida class 4A state semifinal games in 2017 and 2018. Flowers has 13 siblings.

2021 Production: 12 games, 44 receptions, 746 yards, 5 touchdowns

2020 Production: 11 games, 56 receptions, 892 yards, 9 touchdowns

2019 Production: 13 games, 22 receptions, 341 yards, 3 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 First-Team All-ACC (WR), 2020 Honorable Mention All-ACC (All-Purpose), 2021 Third-Team All-ACC

Pros: Playmaker in space, dynamic athlete, creative player on screens and handoffs, quick off the line, speed to create some separation, quick and effective footwork, plays the sideline well, ball tracking helps him win downfield despite size disadvantage, elusiveness leads to some special plays, quarterback play held him back in 2021, weaves through traffic, stop-start acceleration, active hands and feet to beat press, lively release package, fluid athlete with great foot, hip, and arm movement to juke defenders, stops on a dime and redirects, change of direction, hands are active at all times, manipulates defenders with body movement before and after the catch, sudden and twitchy, vision with the ball in his hands

Cons: Drops have been a consistent issue, his size hampers him in contested catch situations, limited special teams coverage experience, lightweight who struggles to break tackles, too many short plays where he failed to make defenders miss in one-on-one situations, plenty of screens and manufactured touches, held in check for three quarters by Clemson’s defensive backs (2021), catch radius, estimated arm length, more quick than fast at times, separation isn’t consistent despite physical traits, speed is above average but not elite, not successful making catches going to the ground, overshadowed by larger corners when lined up as an outside receiver, ineffective as a blocker, physical corners will bump him off his route

Overview: Flowers is unofficially listed at 5'10", 172 lbs. Boston college ran the ball with Flowers 45 times over the past three years just to get the ball in his hands. The rising senior is an electric playmaker capable of stringing together multiple successful jukes and cuts. While Flowers is a dynamic playmaker, he lacks the elite speed to consistently gain separation as a route runner. He’ll likely receiver fewer carries and opportunities as an outside receiver in the NFL because of his small stature, which limits his catch radius, ability to battle physical corners, and YAC opportunities. We haven’t seen Flowers play a season start to finish with great quarterback play, but that could change this year as Phil Jurkovec returns to Boston College. Flowers should see 70 to 80 touches this season.

Overall, Flowers is a loose athlete who generates some eye-catching plays in the open field, but he offers limited upside because of size and speed concerns. There’s also room for him to improve as a route runner considering he fails to consistently generate separation.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid Fourth to Early Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-05-22