Is Boston College WR Zay Flowers worthy of being Baltimore Ravens round one draft pick?

The Baltimore Ravens have needed wide receiver help for a while now. One name that they have been linked to is Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers. Should the Ravens have interest, and what is his NFL comparison?

Baltimore Ravens NFL Draft Profile: Boston College WR Zay Flowers

Zay Flowers put up 341 yards, but really took off in 2020 as a sophomore. He produced 892 yards on 55 catches and was a notable big-play target. In 2021, he came back down to earth with 746 yards on 44 catches, but 202 was his best year. He produced 1,077 yards on 78 catches. Zay Flowers was the Boston College offense.

He finished his career with 1,415 routes run, and 34% of them coming out of the slot.

Zay Flowers was invited to the Shrine Bowl and was a known winner from the event. Then, he went to the NFL combine.

It is obvious that Zay Flowers is not very big. However, he is fast and explosive.

How Zay Flowers translates to the NFL

Zay Flowers should be a Z wide receiver in the NFL. He can move in and out of the slot and can be used in most areas of the field. However, he is best in the short game, where he can run after the catch, and in the deep game.

He is not the physical presence and needs to win with quickness off of the line or bigger cornerbacks can physically beat him right off of the snap. Flowers is also not the best at creating space over the middle of the field or winning the tough, contested catches.

However, his catch radius is impressive for his size, mainly from his ball tracking. His ball tracking, and jittery sense to create off of double moves down the field make him a deep threat more than anything.

NFL Comparison for Zay Flowers

The best NFL comparison for Zay Flowers is Tyler Lockett. They have similar athletic and physical profiles. Both of them win in and out of the slot, and while both of them can work with the ball in their hands, they are best down the field. That is because of the elite ball-tracking ability. There could be similar expectations for Flowers to win in the NFL the way that Tyler Lockett does.

Should Baltimore Ravens draft Zay Flowers?

The Ravens need a wide receiver, but it is not for lack of trying. Hollywood Brown did not hit, and Rashod Bateman needs to prove more. Can they trust Zay Flowers after missing on a shorter wideout who liked he could be a big play threat? Or, do they want a bigger body?

Zay Flowers does not have quite the top-end speed as Brown, but he is a more refined ball tracking and has better hands than Hollywood Brown. It could be a fit to make up for the miss a few years ago. The question is if other wide receivers such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, and Quentin Johnston are on the board as well.