2023 NFL Draft: Zay Flowers could provide Bears with juice they need at WR

Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers is one of the top prospects at his position in the 2023 NFL draft, and despite his underwhelming size, he could be an ideal second-round target for the Chicago Bears.

Flowers is beginning to see his stock rise into the late first round of 2023 mock drafts, but his weigh-in at the 2023 Shrine Game will likely push him into Day 2. He checked in at just 5092 and 183 pounds, and while he has a decent amount of mass on his frame, his 29-inch arms make his catch radius much smaller than NFL teams prefer.

But there’s no denying Flowers’ ability to be a downright lethal weapon out of the slot.

Zay Flowers might be the most exciting playmaking wide receiver in this year’s draft.

Hard not to fall in love w/ BC WR Zay Flowers’ YAC ability. He’ll be gone before the 2nd round.

Having watched him live more than any prospect (BC Season Ticket holder), Zay did not take plays off even when BC was losing. Turned down 400k transfer NIL pic.twitter.com/ujeEeoo5Jx…

— Jared Tokarz (@JaredNFLDraft) February 9, 2023

Flowers will turn 23 at the start of the 2023 season, which may turn some teams off. We know it won’t cause the Chicago Bears to flinch. They drafted Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft despite his advanced age. He turned 25 two weeks after the draft.

The Bears should hope Flowers has detractors in NFL front offices. Chicago won’t be in a position to select him in the first round, and as it currently stands, they’ll need him to have a significant Day-2 slide to reach their second-round pick at No. 53 overall.

Zay Flowers set career highs across the board in 2022. He finished his final season at Boston College with 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns and had an average of 15.3 yards per catch over the last four years.

Flowers” incredible lateral agility and hip flexibility will make him a yards-after-the-catch dynamo in the NFL. He doesn’t profile as an outside receiver because of his lack of height and length, but good luck to any cornerback charged with covering him in space.

He’s more than just a quick-twitch athlete, too. Flowers plays with an edge, especially when run-blocking. He explodes into defenders and takes pride in winning his matchup. It’s a trait that may not move the needle much in his final grade, but wide receivers with his mental makeup usually succeed in the NFL.

Zay Flowers is who I thought of when DeMeco said explosive play makers who you can get four yard passes to and get YAC yardage pic.twitter.com/aNdgP5pUM0

— big ounce (@_bigounce) February 4, 2023

If the Chicago Bears draft Zay Flowers, he will begin training camp as arguably the most gifted receiver on the roster. He has incredible body control and contested-catch ability despite being the smaller player in most matchups. He outjumps defenders and uses his strong hands to snag the ball out of the air. What he lacks in size, he makes up with great competitiveness.

Flowers is currently slotted behind more well-known 2023 NFL Draft wide receivers like TCU’s Quentin Johnson, USC’s Jordan Addison, and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But his on-field play is reminiscent of Steelers great Antonio Brown (remember, we’re talking on-field here). Brown was a late-round pick who emerged as a potential Hall-of-Fame player.

This isn’t to suggest Zay Flowers is destined for Canton. But he’s a tremendous wide receiver prospect for a team like the Chicago Bears that needs electrifying playmakers who bring a competitive edge to the game.

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