Is Zay Flowers the wide receiver the Giants need?

The New York Giants must upgrade their wide receiver room for the upcoming season. Draft pundits have linked plenty of wide receivers to the Giants, and one of those names is Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers.

The last name is not meant to evoke any memories of first-round picks of yesteryear. Still, Big Blue needs assistance at wide receiver in this passing league, and Flowers may be an answer.

The undersized wide receiver wasn’t relegated to the slot, despite his less-than-ideal frame. Flowers is 5-foot-9, 182 pounds with second percentile arm length and 9⅛-inch hands. Although his measurements don’t jump off the page, his ability to attack defenses at all three levels is a notable trait.

Flowers was a two-time First Team All-ACC selection (2020 and 2022), and he was a third-team selection in 2021. Flowers finished his productive career at Boston College with 200 catches on 345 targets for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns. Eclipsed 1,000 yards by 77 in 2022 for the first time in his career; he added 78 catches and 12 touchdowns.

Flowers excels as a route runner who creates separation in a variety of ways. Boston College also used him in the backfield to create mismatches; he finished his career with 57 carries for 345 yards and two touchdowns.

He also returned punts in 2022. Flowers was a Biletnikoff Award finalist, and he earned the Bulger Lowe Award and the Season Golden Helmet Award in 2022. Flowers decided to attend the 2023 East-West Shrine Game in Las Vegas; he practiced on the first day but missed subsequent practices due to pacing himself despite being “fully healthy.” Flowers as arguably the highest-profile player at the event.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had this to say about Flowers:

“I love Zay Flowers. I know he is not the biggest guy in the world at a little over 5-9, 182 pounds, but he is a clone to TY Hilton. I pulled this up today. When you look at their numbers, TY Hilton and Zay Flowers, it is — Flowers is 5-9½; Hilton is 5-9½. Flowers 182 pounds; Hilton 183 pounds. Wingspan, 73.5 to 73⅛. We’ll see the testing when they run and all that.

“It’s one of those deals when you watch, gosh, he reminds me of TY Hilton, and then when you pull the numbers they’re like twins. I think he is a great player. I think he is going to go somewhere into the late first into the early second round. We’ll see how he runs, but I’m a big fan of his.”

The 2023 Scouting Combine is right around the corner, and it will be an important event for Flowers, who appears to be a great athlete on tape. Finding a true number-one wide receiver to pair with Wan’Dale Robinson might be difficult in this draft with the 25th pick.

Flowers lacks desirable size, and there are other aspects of his game that can improve. However, there’s a lot to appreciate, and the video details his intriguing skill set and why he may be in consideration for the Giants at 25.