In the 2023 NFL draft, no receivers were selected until the 20th pick when the Seahawks picked Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This immediately led to a run on receivers with the Chargers selecting Quentin Johnston at 21, the Ravens taking Flowers at 22, and the Vikings selecting Jordan Addison at 23.
Through a third of their rookie seasons, these four receivers have had vastly different results. Here's a breakdown of how Ravens' receiver Zay Flowers compares to his fellow first-rounders.
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA, 20th OVR pick)
"JSN" was the first receiver selected in the 2023 draft and many viewed him as a perfect fit for the Seahawks.
Seattle features one of the best receiver duos in football with D.K Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on their roster. However, many presumed Smith-Njigba would be a perfect fit as the primary slot receiver in Seattle's offense. That hasn't worked through the first 5 games.
JSN has struggled to establish himself so far, posting some pretty underwhelming numbers for a receiver who was supposed to be one of the most pro-ready receiving prospects in recent seasons. JSN has been targeted 25 times through the first 5 games of the season, posting 16 catches and just 110 yards.
JSN has not found the end zone through his first 5 games and is averaging just 6.9 yards per catch. His longest reception so far this season has been for just 18 yards and he has 2 drops on the year.
It's still very early in his career and JSN is too talented to not be a productive player, but it hasn't been the seamless transition we all were expecting for the Ohio State product.
2. Quentin Johnston (LAC, 21st OVR pick)
Johnston was arguably the most polarizing receiver prospect in this year's draft.
He's a huge receiver, sitting at 6 foot 4 and 215 pounds, but he also has great speed and explosiveness. The problem is that Johnston has had drop issues in the past and has often played smaller than his frame.
The Chargers were hoping Johnston would provide another weapon for star quarterback Justin Herbert, but it hasn't worked out so far.
Even with Mike Williams tearing his ACL and being out for the season, Johnston has failed to establish himself in the Chargers offense.
He's had very little production so far, getting just 13 targets in 5 games and recording just 6 catches. Johnston has just 44 receiving yards and 0 touchdowns this season while having his longest reception be for just 18 yards.
Hopefully, Johnston can earn some more targets downfield later this season.
3. Jordan Addison (MIN, 24th OVR pick)
Addison has had a very solid start to his career. He was drafted with the hope he could replace Adam Thielen as the number 2 receiver for the Vikings, but with Justin Jefferson hitting Injured Reserve of late, Addison may have to be the number 1 receiver for the Vikings.
The numbers would tell you that Addison could be up for the challenge. In 6 games this season, Addison has been targeted 34 times and has 22 catches. 4 of those 22 catches have been touchdowns, and he's accumulated 277 yards on the year.
Addison has already established himself as a productive deep threat for Kirk Cousins and the Vikings, with multiple long touchdowns so far this season.
His longest reception was for 62 yards and he's recorded 12 first downs this season while having just one drop.
I expect Addison to continue being a productive receiving threat for the Vikings this season.
4. Zay Flowers (BAL, 23rd OVR pick)
Flowers has been awesome for the Ravens so far, establishing himself as the most productive receiver in the offense. The Ravens receivers have struggled with injuries over the past couple of seasons, so seeing Zay play in every game this season (and play well) as a rookie has been a breath of fresh air for Ravens fans.
Flowers has been targeted 48 times through 6 games this season, racking up 35 catches and 367 yards. 15 of those receptions have gone for first downs and Flowers has made an impact at every level of the field
He's been great in the short and intermediate areas of the field, but he has also accounted for some deep plays. This includes a tremendous grab in Week 2 against the Bengals that went for 52 yards.
Flowers also recorded his first touchdown of his NFL career last week in London, one that will hopefully be the first of many. I'd expect Flowers to continue to be productive since Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman have yet to get going so far this season.
Too lit!!! @ZayFlowers watches his first career touchdown for the first time❗️ pic.twitter.com/yAbQIK13zI
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 15, 2023
Comparison and Final verdict
After looking at each of the four receivers' numbers so far this season, it's pretty evident that Flowers has been the most productive.
Both JSN and Johnston have been extremely underwhelming for their teams this season, while Addison and Flowers have been by far the most productive of the four.
Even with Addison having a solid season, Flowers still leads him in multiple categories. In the same amount of games played, Flowers has 13 more catches along with 90 more receiving yards and 3 more first downs than Addison. However, Addison does have the edge in touchdowns and yards per catch this season.
By the end of the year, I could certainly see their respective numbers being very close, but I think Flowers has the edge through the first 6 games of the season.
It'll be fun to make this same comparison when the season concludes!