Making the case: Why the Bears should draft wide receiver Zay Flowers

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft begins, the staff at CHGO Sports will be “Making The Case” for prospects the Chicago Bears should consider drafting.

If general manager Ryan Poles adds a wide receiver in the Draft to give Justin Fields another weapon on offense, one player the Bears should consider is Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers. 

Zay Flowers Stats

Strengths and Weaknesses

Flowers has led the Eagles in receiving yards for the past three seasons. As a senior, he posted career highs in receiving yards (1,077), touchdowns (12) and receptions per game (6.5).

Flowers’ speed immediately stands out. He consistently creates separation from defenders when running post patterns and deep over routes. He also shows good burst and timing off the line of scrimmage, allowing him to break a defensive back’s cushion, which ultimately forces the defender to turn out of their backpedal too quickly.

ZAY FLOWERS, WE SEE YOU😳

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— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 1, 2022

He also can stop on a dime and change direction after making a catch. If Flowers wasn’t stretching the field vertically, Boston College liked to call a screen or simple drag route to get the ball in his hands.

Start your weekend off right with a little Zay Flowers snatching ankles

A creative menace in open space
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— Joe O’Leary (@TheHQNerd) January 7, 2023

The biggest “flaw” on Flowers is his size. He is listed as 5-foot-10, 172 pounds. Of course, questions about his durability in the NFL, his catch radius and his capability of blocking on the perimeter immediately get brought up, and it’s fair for teams to think about those questions when evaluating Flowers.

Flowers body type, though, is nearly identical to Darnell Mooney’s (5-foot-11, 172 pounds). So if anyone is going to have a good idea of how Flowers can translate in the NFL, it’s going to be Poles and this Bears coaching staff.

Why Draft Flowers?

Simply put, the Bears desperately need to add playmakers to this roster. Flowers proved he could do that for the Eagles’ offense. He lined up on the outside, in the slot, and even had some opportunities on jet sweeps.

Luke Getsy’s offense likes to move guys around depending on the play and the personnel on the field. Flowers he can be a part of that mix with players like Mooney, Kmet and Chase Claypool (and hopefully another receiver added in free agency or the draft).

It’s tough to gauge exactly where Flowers will go in the draft, especially without the physical measurables and 40-time set. It could be anywhere between the second and fourth round.

Flowers will be playing in the East-West Shrine Bowl game, which will take place on Thursday, Feb. 2. This will be a good opportunity for Flowers to compete against some of the best seniors in the country and to get in front of NFL coaching to raise his draft stock prior to the 2023 NFL Draft.