With the 22nd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected Boston College WR Zay Flowers.
RSR staff react to the pick here.
A sample of what Zay Flowers can do. He told me this was his favorite play from last year. pic.twitter.com/PRVD8seqJw
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) April 28, 2023
Darin McCann
The remake of the Ravens’ receiving group appears complete, and Flowers was my favorite receiver in this class. So… that’s fun.
But I am still concerned with the corner position, and what the Ravens are going to do there. They do not have a second-round pick, and it’s hard to get excited over the corners still on the street right now. Maybe a trade option will come up after the draft, but I’m still worried there.
You don’t have to worry about lining up Flowers in a traditional way. He can be more than a WR. As he just said, get the ball in his hands. Handoffs, screens, play from the slot, just get him on the field. You just need a creative offensive coordinator, which Monken is. #Ravens
— Dev Panchwagh (@devpanchwagh) April 28, 2023
Nikhil Mehta
I like Zay Flowers, a lot. I included him as my Day 1 WR pick behind JSN in RSR’s Roundtable Rankings, and I think Monken can do a ton with him.
That being said, I’m a bit disappointed this pick wasn’t Nolan Smith or Joey Porter Jr. I have them graded higher and JPJ in particular, with Baltimore’s need at CB, feels like a missed opportunity.
That also being said, this offense is now supercharged. Lamar gets to pass to OBJ, Rashod Bateman, Flowers, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely with J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards in the backfield. If Monken is really the OC we hired him to be, this offense will be impossible to stop.
Rob Shields
Well, this draft almost fell perfectly for the Ravens. As questionable picks went off the board, the Ravens were going to have their choice of guys.
It’s obvious they tried to trade back, as they were on the clock for a while but either they couldn’t make a deal happen or ultimately decided to take Flowers over one of those deals.
OBJ, Bateman, Flowers, Andrews, Likely and Charlie Kolar. And now an OC that knows how to call a passing game. Oh and they have an excellent offensive line and running game. Good luck defenses.
This is a very good pick. Only question is, should they have taken a corner instead? I expect them to sign 1-2 veteran corners and draft one in the third round.
This is the total beauty of a Zay Flowers package. He perfectly breaks off an out route and creates separation. Once he secures the ball, he uses the separation his route created to make a man miss and gain some YAC.
Transferable skills all over the place! pic.twitter.com/rh11egcgFd
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) March 27, 2023
Kevin McNelis
The way the board ended up falling, there was an embarrassment of riches available for the Ravens at #22. The Chargers even did the favor of taking Quentin Johnston off the board, a guy I absolutely DIDN’T want, leaving Zay Flowers, Jordan Addison, JPJ, and Deonte Banks.
Ultimately, they pick Flowers, and I’m all about it. His route running is absolutely surgical, and I’ve watched him embarrass DBs on multiple occasions. Playing as a fixture opposite Rashod Bateman for the foreseeable future, the Ravens have a fun young duo.
Aidan Griesser
As a BC guy, I can’t lie: I love the Ravens taking another BC guy. Would I have liked to recoup a second round pick? Yes.
However, if we’re not getting Hopkins, another receiver needed to be added. Let’s see how it goes, but I have high hopes.
Adam Bonaccorsi
The draft of Zay Flowers tells me 4 things:
- I never want to hear “the Ravens don’t care about offense!” ever again after drafting their third first-round WR in five years while also adding OBJ & Nelson Agholor this offseason.
- They have a plan for CB opposite Marlon Humphrey after passing on both Porter Jr & Tae Banks
- The sky’s the limit for the 2023 Ravens offense that’s absolutely LOADED after adding an explosive wideout that Steve Smith Sr. vouched for personally.
- The Hop-to-Baltimore chatter should die out now, without question.
Great selection by EDC & Co! Let’s see if they find the means to work their way up the board tomorrow or if they settle into their sole third round pick.
Jared Pinder
The Ravens literally couldn’t lose with this pick. The board was absolutely loaded with talent, but the Ravens decided to go receiver. Flowers just has juice. He is a souped-up version of Hollywood Brown and adds that speed element to this offense.
This is an embarrassment of riches at receiver. We have upgraded from a Honda Prius to a Lamborghini. Add in Lamar’s new contract and the excuses for the offense are now gone.
This all on Monken and Lamar to make this work because this too much talent to struggle.
What a great day in Baltimore!
15 Responses
After the first midget WR Hollywood Brown didn’t work out I guess he figured he’d try again. This, of course, is after signing someone to a contract extension who’s only ever won 1 playoff game. EDC has so many bad decisions now it’s hard to defend him. We would’ve been better off taking Joey Porter. So now we’re stuck with Hollywood Brown 2.0. He’s just the next guy that will go to the ground when making a catch or get out of bounds. I get the college tape but everyone here in this league is bigger stronger and faster. I don’t think I could’ve planned a bigger draft disaster than this. This franchise is clearly headed down the toilet. LJ hasn’t even been to an AFC Championship game and you’re paying him more than someone who has been. What’s the incentive to win a superbowl? Now they just whine long enough and get whatever they want. Does anyone believe he’ll complete a 17 game season in his career? I don’t.
this guy is nothing like brittle hollywood brown…you`ll see soon enough…
You are just a ray of positive sunshine arent ya? Clearly you don’t line Lamar. Everyone is celebrating and you’re pissed. 😂😂😂. This is a great day for Ravens fans. Go Ravens.
I’m happy to read these positive reviews because initially I was concerned about his height. I’ve never seen him play though. Go Ravens!
After reading an analysis of this player on NFL.com, I feel my initial reaction of disappointment is warranted. I’m just going to hope for the best. I bet it’s hard to trade down from 22. I wish we had taken the tight end that was available there, but we had other needs. Idk.
is this satire?…you wanted the ravens to take ANOTHER tight end?….
i watched quite a few youtube vids and read scouting reports….two guys literally jumped off the screen/page…gibbs from alabama and flowers(i understand why gibbs went so early..he`s an insane talent)….as one of the writers above stated,i was so glad johnston was taken off the board by the chargers…i bet if he had been there the ravens would have once again drafted measurables over production and real offensive instincts….thank you chargers…
this guy will be a weapon all over the field…watching him when b.c. was in the red zone going back and forth in motion drove defenses crazy….everybody knew who was getting the ball in that moribund offense but they couldn`t stop flowers…now imagine any combination of jackson,andrews,likely dobbins,flowers and/or obj,not to mention bateman in the red zone…size speed. savvy…you can no longer focus on andrews…does anybody have a defense that can single cover these guys in the red zone?..how do you cover that?…..flowers is so much different than hollywood brown(so much sturdier and diverse)…
lamar got two gifts today….his specialty is broken plays….the ravens just gave him the perfect playmate….this caliiber playmaker makes our offense exponentially better…
i hope our new off coordinator is half as good as purported because he has an enormous amount of clay with which to fashion something very special…
i`m about as ecited as i`ve ever been about ravens football…..we are no longer one dimensional(if jackson`s accuracy issues can be reconciled)
Lol
if you had said you wanted Addison, Hyatt, Tillman, J.Mingo because you wanted a bigger WR fine. But we have Andrews, Likely, & Kolar all signed for years with a new OC and you wanted another TE lol.
Y’all are too smart for me
chris simms thinks flowers is thee best wr in this class….his comaparison?…antonio brown….remember,flowers played on a b.c. offense where he was pretty much “it”…every defense focused on flowers…
Fans love to panic. We will sign R Ya Sin, draft a corner and if still needed trade for one before Oct deadline
If your an odds person the odds are stacked against any 5 ft 9 reciever in the NFL. A Steve Smith only comes along every 25-30 years. On the other hand the Ravens have struck out so many times with first round recievers he could be the next mighty mouse to satisfy the odds. Ice up man!
I am pretty blah about this pick. I hope it works out but at least we have some depth in the passing game.
I’m going to pump the brakes just a bit on all the Flowers enthusiasm. When have the Ravens ever drafted a wide receiver in the first round that 1) wasn’t dinged up in college 2) played consistently through their first contract to merit a second and 3) made a Pro Bowl? Answer: Crickets…….
The last time the Ravens had a high performing wide receiver set was in the days of Derrick Alexander and Michael Jackson, and that was in 1996-1997 right after the move from Cleveland.
Media analysts are gushing over Zay Flowers like he’s the second coming of Antonio Brown (before he lost his mind, that is). All I’m saying is before we anoint this guy as the second coming of Steve Smith Sr., let’s see how this guy performs against bigger, stronger, and faster DBs than he ever saw in college. I’ll believe it when I see it.
I agree but thats not the way the NFL and world works today. First rounders are anointed not picked.