Welcome to the NFL young beginner! After being important players in their universities, rookies must once again earn their places in the pros. Who are they and what hopes do they raise? Come and discover these new gems. Today the dynamic receiver Zay Flowers.
Xavien “Zay” Flowers
Born September 11, 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1m75 for 82 kilos
Receiver, Baltimore Ravens
Third of four receivers chosen in the 1st round of the 2023 draft, Zay Flowers justifies the investment in his rookie season.
If I were a project: make the attack more balanced
The Ravens’ DNA does not change in 2023: the offense still runs more than it throws. But investing a 1st round pick on a receiver is not trivial.
In 2023, Jim Harbaugh evolves his system with a basic scheme including three receivers the majority of the time. Influenced by the new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, he abandons his usual 12 Personnel (2 tight ends and 2 receivers) for this 11 Personnel (1 TE and 3 WR).
Zay Flowers needs to make this attack less predictable and that’s what’s happening.
If I were an NFL debut: on the move to surprise opponents
He is Lamar Jackson’s number one option in 2023. Ahead of Mark Andrews and ahead of Odell Beckham. Over the first five weeks, Zay Flowers catches an average of 5.8 balls for 63.4 yards per game. Despite two loose balls against Pittsburgh, he recovered the following week.
During the 6th game in London against the Titans, he scored his first NFL touchdown!
He is often this player motion : all offensive players must remain motionless before the ball is engaged, all except one. Thus, he can feint against opponents who do not know what he is going to do: go deep, position himself in the center of the field, receive a screen pass or even take the ball and carry it on the run.
If Zay Flowers were a quality: liveliness
Sprinting to offer a long-distance solution, Zay Flowers knows how to do it. But more than top speed, it is the liveliness of his changes of support which is disconcerting for his opponents.
To stand out, a receiver must know how to change direction, either to return to his quarterback, or to go to one side and thus let go of the cornerback. A liveliness which also allows him to dodge the first tackler and gain yards after the reception.
If Zay Flowers was a flaw: his lack of size
Small, not very strong and with short arms… Zay Flowers’ measurements do not correspond to the standards sought in the NFL. In the minds of staffs, questions arise when evaluating a college player of this stature: Can he withstand contact and avoid injury? Can he win against cornerbacks in the NFL?
Regarding the first question, Zay Flowers has not missed a game due to injury in four college seasons. And if he cannot fight physically, his liveliness and his intelligence allow him to still win his duel.
If Zay Flowers was an NFL player: Antonio Brown (2010-2021)
Putting aside the problems of the man, the player Antonio Brown was a receiver like few others: 7 seasons with more than 1000 yards, more than 80 touchdowns, elected 7 times to the Pro Bowl and 4 times in the typical NFL team!
Like his elder, Zay Flowers is electric: he has speed and liveliness. And he is capable of attacking deep as well as gaining yards after reception inside the field.
If I were a journey: a Florida childhood
The eleventh child of fourteen siblings, Zay Flowers started playing football very early. In the state of Florida, football is more than a sport: it is also a way for young people to grow up away from problems. Former successful rapper and now football coach in a Miami high school, Luther Campbell explains the seriousness invested in this mission to Vice Sports:
“We can compare this to China where from the age of four, children are trained in gymnastics daily. Here it’s the same but for football. It’s not for fun, it’s serious! Mothers and grandmothers watch the training and if their kid doesn’t give everything he has, the grandmother grabs the railing and gives him a soap.”
Good on the field but with a small size, Zay Flowers was only rated as the 139th high school receiver in 2019. None of the 7 major universities in Florida offered him a scholarship! In the north of the country, Flowers was consistent and efficient for four years with Boston College: 2,715 yards and 26 touchdowns for his three seasons as a starter.
It is now the Baltimore Ravens who benefit from his quality on the field. His character too, as Boston College coach Jeff Hafley confirms to The Athletic:
“He plays in a team with only 3 victories and yet you have to see the energy he puts in when he blocks! Good on the pitch and involved in the group, Zay Flowers was a dream for the coach that I am. »
