'Explosive!' Ravens Lamar Jackson Scouts, Praises WR Zay Flowers
In a sense, Zay Flowers' time with the Baltimore Ravens will always be intertwined with that of Lamar Jackson's, stretching far beyond the connection between quarterback and receiver.
Of course, their on-field relationship will ultimately be what lasts ... but what preceded that may prove most significant, as the Ravens agreed to terms with Jackson on his record-setting contract extension just hours before making Flowers the No. 22 overall pick in April's draft.
Now, the duo is at OTAs, working towards making memories on the gridiron - and Jackson delivered a very positive scouting report on his takeaways from his first few practice sessions with Flowers.
"Zay is shifty," Jackson told reporters. "Zay is very fast, explosive. He can stop on the dime. I know you've seen that. I saw it yesterday when you guys weren't here, and I saw it today. So, he's smooth."
Jackson's words largely mirrored those of Ravens coach John Harbaugh, who said Flowers was "as advertised" during rookie minicamp and praised his quickness, hands and intelligence.
Both Jackson and Flowers are viewed as electric talents, but they also share similar backgrounds, as each hail from South Florida - Jackson noted that Flowers is "well known down there" from his youth football days and beyond, which was only furthered by his first-round status.
As such, it's no surprise that Jackson is "excited" to get to work with Flowers, who arrives in Baltimore after a decorated career at Boston College.
The 5-9, 182-pound Flowers broke the single-season program record in touchdown receptions (12), tied the mark in receptions (78) and finished third in receiving yards (1,077). He was named the best player in the New England region and a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award given annually to the top wideout in college football.
In total, Flowers, 22, finished as the all-time career leader in all three above categories with 29 touchdowns, 200 receptions and 3,056 receiving yards.
And yet, Flowers is battling the stigma that comes with being a small but fast receiver - though he firmly believes his skill set encompasses much more.
"I can do everything," Flowers told SI's Raven Country this spring. "I'm not an undersized guy that can just run jet sweeps and catch underneath routes - I can be used in multiple different ways and (however) a team needs me to be used."
Between his versatility, quickness and speed, Flowers brings considerable value to Baltimore's offense and appears to be off to a good start with Jackson as the duo aims to be "explosive" and make that ever-so-busy April day one for the Ravens' record books.
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