Another WR to Circle for Vikings in Draft
Dustin Baker
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Over the last few weeks, most draft pundits have decided the Minnesota Vikings will likely draft a cornerback or wide receiver with their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Vikings are on deck to choose in the 23rd spot on April 27th, and if they don’t trade out of the pick — something that could very well happen — a blue-chip talent will be available due to the depth of this year’s rookie class.
Another WR to Circle for Vikings in Draft
And if it’s a wide receiver at No. 23, Zay Flowers from Boston College is a name to monitor.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said this week at the NFL Combine about Flowers, “We met with Zay, he was phenomenal. When you turn on the tape, you feel that explosiveness on the field anytime guys like him touch it.”
Minnesota will meet with oodles of juicy prospects — including quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Will Levis — so a discussion with Flowers shouldn’t be considered a smoking gun. But O’Connell did specifically name-drop the 22-year-old, and that’s not a bad sign if you’re pro-Flowers in the draft.
Flowers tabulated 78 receptions in 12 games for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final season at Boston College. ESPN’s Field Yates tweeted about his combine profile Saturday, “BC WR Zay Flowers posts a 4.42u in his 40 time. A rock solid time for one of the most electric players in the draft.”
Before the NFL Combine — a lot can change now with his impressive showing firmly in general managers’ brains — Flowers was a player who could probably fall to the Vikings at No. 23. He isn’t the biggest wide receiver, listed at 5’10” and 175 pounds. According to The Draft Network, Flowers’ pro comp is Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
TDN also noted about the soon-to-be rookie, “Flowers’ versatility will make it easier for coordinators to dial his number and get the football in his hands. The plan a team has for him in year one should revolve around pre-snap motion, manufactured touches in space, and quick-hitting routes with run-after-catch opportunities.”
Flowers landed with the Baltimore Ravens in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, one pick before the Vikings.
Minnesota hasn’t selected a player in the draft from Boston College in 23 years — Chris Hovan in Round 1 of the 2000 draft.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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