Zay Flowers Scouting Report: Is The Undersized Receiver Worth a High Pick?

Zay Flowers is one of the most exciting prospects this draft season. He was a bit of a late riser as he didn’t have the most appealing numbers, but his film is overwhelmingly impressive. Playing for a blue collared school like Boston College in a tough conference is a good sign. He stood out at the Shrine Bowl and has a lot of qualities reminiscent of Jaylen Waddle. His game has some notable weaknesses, but he gives off a feeling that he will excel in the pros. The combine wasn’t exactly his day, but I think if he had gotten better technique from the jump, he would’ve done better.

Two all-22 games and three more Youtube games were evaluated. This scouting report includes grades on all relevant traits which were based on his film. His scouting report also factored in stats and analytics, such as PFF grades. We also break down his traits through clip analysis. Use promo code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Please gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.

Receiving Stats

2022:

2021:

Clip Analysis

In the clip above, Zay Flowers runs a stellar deep-out route. He stops on an absolute dime and does a great job of keeping his feet within bounds.

Here he makes a massive play and shows off his long speed. He intitially fakes the deep corner route, then pivots and runs a deep post. It doesn’t matter he’s double teamed and only 5’9 as he has excellent ball tracking and stellar hands.

Zay Flowers went to Shrine Bowl and showed elite quickness and change of direction ability in these drills. The footspeed and fluidity are unmatched.

Grades

Traits/ Skills (see bottom of the page for scale)

Each trait/attribute is graded 1-7.

Player Notes

Zay Flowers Bio

• Zay Flowers is an undersized but extremely difficult guy to cover. He has world-class lateral quickness and burst paired with elite speed.

Pros

• Some of the best agility and change of direction you’ll ever see in a receiver.
• Has the speed to be a borderline elite vertical threat.
• Extremely elusive after the catch, paired with great vision – has electric shiftiness. Had over 500 yards after the catch.
• Has phenomenal ball-tracking ability and body control.
• Is aggressive in coming down with tough catches – caught over 50% of contested targets.
• Has plenty of experience playing on the outside.
• If he beats you in press off the line of scrimmage, there is no recovering from it.
• Is a polished route runner with beautiful and sharp cuts.
• Showed attention to detail.
• Has a full-fledged route-running prowess – pulled off some double moves.
• Notably good character – played for a great school and had positive reports from his interviews.

Cons

• He obviously is undersized and may not hold up well in terms of durability.
• Drops are a consistent issue in his game.
• While he’s highly elusive, he lacks contact balance after the catch.
• Lacks long arms and big hands.
• Due to lack of size, he won’t ever be great at the catch point against more physical corners. In addition, he can occasionally get bodied in press coverage.

Final Conclusion

• Flowers may never be a complete X-receiver, but he brings a level of value as a playmaker and deep threat that will be highly dangerous to opposing teams. He is worth a pick in the late first this year and there are some fantastic potential landing spots.

Combine

40 yd: 4.42

10 yd: 1.53

Shuttle:

3 cone:

Broad: 10’7″

Vertical: 35.5″

Bench:

Arm Length: 29 1/4″

Hand Size: 9 1/4″

Grading Scale

Pot=Potential: players’ highest upside

Imp=Impact: player’s immediate impact