NFL Draft Profile: Zay Flowers

As the NFL's annual free agency frenzy comes to a close, it's time for teams to look forward to the year's best and last chance to improve their rosters: the NFL Draft. As April 27th approaches, we'll look at the prospects most likely to transform a franchise's fortunes.

The Player: Zay Flowers, Wide Receiver

Flowers hauled in 200 receptions for 3056 yards and 29 touchdowns in a four-year career with Boston College, including 1077 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns in his 2022 senior season. He also demonstrated a willingness to mix up in the run game, totalling 57 carries for 345 yards across his 48 appearances. A shifty, slippery player at the line of scrimmage and with the ball in his hands, Flowers plays the game with confidence and an underdog mentality that should endear him to fans and evaluators.

The Tools:

At 5'9" and 182 lbs, Flowers is a slightly undersized wide receiver who can likely expect to do most of his damage in the slot and as a complementary option across from a more traditional outside threat. He demonstrated NFL speed at the combine (4.42 40-yard dash), but teams will have to wait until his pro day to see how he fares in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill. Those will bare watching; he'll need to rely on his quickness to succeed in the NFL. As it stands, he recalls a smaller Percy Harvin or maybe a less explosive Kadarius Toney.

The Verdict:

Though prolific, Flowers never attained remarkable peaks with BC. He was a quality pass catcher who showed steady improvement throughout his college career, but he never took the field for a particularly successful offense or team. Unless he blows teams away at his pro day, it's hard to see him developing into a game-changing wide receiver. Still, he could be a valuable complement to a WR1. 

Photo Credit: © Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports