Vikings Draft Thermometer: WR Zay Flowers
Josh Frey
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Welcome to the Vikings Draft Thermometer series, PurplePTSD‘s one-stop shop for all your 2023 NFL Draft needs. Throughout this series, we will be examining a number of prospects ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, what exactly their role could be at the NFL level, and most importantly, whether or not they could end up playing their first NFL snaps in a Vikings uniform. With that, let’s take a look at today’s prospect: Boston College WR Zay Flowers.
Background/Measurements
- Height: 5′ 9 2/8″
- Weight: 182
- Hand: 9 1/8″
- Arm: 29 1/4″
- Wingspan: 72 3/4″
- School: Boston College
- Games Watched: Clemson (2021), Rutgers (2022), Wake Forest (2022),
NOTE: Official measurements from the Shrine Bowl.
Statistics
- 2019: 22 receptions, 341 yards, 3 TDs; 27 carries, 195 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs (13 games)
- 2020: 56 receptions, 892 yards, 9 TDs; 11 carries, 41 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD (11 games)
- 2021: 44 receptions, 746 yards, 5 TDs; 7 carries, 69 rushing yards (12 games)
- 2022: 78 receptions, 1077 yards, 12 TDs; 12 carries, 40 rushing yards (12 games)
Strengths
Zay Flowers is an incredible athlete with a capability of running every route under the sun. He’s smaller in stature, but his shifty lateral movement skills along with some explosive speed make him a tough cover for anyone in the secondary of a defense.
This shifty athletic ability combined with quick bursts of speed make him a very difficult tackle as well, meaning he can pile up yards after the catch in a heartbeat. Boston College also used him in a variety of roles both as an outside receiver and in the slot, giving him versatility in schemes on top of everything else.
He also dipped into special teams during 2022, returning 7 punts for 43 yards, so that’s a role to be aware of as well.
Weaknesses
Size is always going to be the first critique of Flowers. At just a tad over 5’9″ and 180 pounds, he’s very small as a receiver. This could cause him to have some troubles against larger cornerbacks in the NFL, especially if he lines up on the outside.
Flowers has seen improvement with his drop issues over the years, but he could still stand to get better in this area as well.
NFL Projections
- Draft Round: Late First-Mid Second
- Immediate Role: Primarily slot receiver
- Best-Case Scenario: Tyler Lockett
- Vikings Draft Temperature: 40
The likelihood of the Vikings taking Flowers becomes much higher if Minnesota feels confident in their secondary group. There are many cornerbacks in this draft that could be had at No. 23, and the Vikings may not want to miss a chance on one of them. However, if they have confidence in their group as-is, or they go after someone in free agency, then that opens the door to finding another receiver to add to their lineup.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.