Steelers Slot WR Options: Zay Flowers or Josh Downs?
While not currently their biggest need, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a void at slot receiver, and that remains one of the bigger question marks on offense heading into the new year.
Luckily, for them, this draft class, despite not being overwhelmingly exciting overall compared to previous classes, is flushed with intriguing options inside. Oftentimes, wide receivers are like ice cream, it really depends on which kind of flavor you want, but they all serve a purpose in their own unique way.
Two of the best players that seem to fit the Steelers' mold are Boston College's Zay Flowers and North Carolina's Josh Downs.
Both players are similar in that they're smaller receivers with a ton of game. They've also both been the highly productive number one targets on their respective teams over the course of multiple seasons.
Beyond their size and productivity, their film shows two surprisingly different players that dominate in different ways. Before the NFL Combine kicks off next week, I dove back into the film to see how each player wins and which one feels like a better fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Zay Flowers
After another stellar season at Boston College, one in which he caught 12 touchdown passes, Flowers was a Shrine bowl participant in Las Vegas. Unsurprisingly, Flowers looked the part during practice that week but it was his measurements that likely helped his stock, coming in at a shade over 5-9 but weighing in at 182 pounds which was excellent in my eyes.
Flowers is all gas, no brakes with a seriously quick accelerator as he can get to his third gear in a flash which has helped make him one of the more difficult deep threats to defend in college football in recent years. Flowers has a different gear than most, eats up cushion with ease and can get defenders turned around with quick, sudden movements at the break point. On deep throws, Flowers tracks the ball beautifully, with catches in stride looking the ball in over his shoulder with ease while also having the ability to adjust to off-target throws.
That speed and overall suddenness shows up after the catch as well, as he's a dangerous ball carrier in open space. Flowers has serious wiggle, can stop on a dime and is capable of stringing multiple moves together in succession to make defenders look silly. He's an incredibly fluid and loose athlete who always stood out on the field regardless of competition. Because of his explosiveness, Flowers is a threat to score at all times and can flip the script of a game in one play.
Josh Downs
After back-to-back 1,000-plus yard seasons for the Tarheels, Downs opted to leave school a year early. Unlike Flowers, we don't currently have exact measurements just yet for Downs seeing as he wasn't eligible for any all-star games due to him being an underclassman.
We will get definitive answers on this next week at the NFL Combine, but it's reasonable to expect him to come in somewhere around the 5-foot-10, 175-pound range.
Downs is a three-level threat from the slot who can beat you in a multitude of different ways.
Downs can win on a vertical plane with his speed, but it's what he brings to the table aside from that which makes him even more intriguing. He's a tactician in manipulating defenders' leverage, getting into their blind spots, or turning them around through the route. Downs also plays at his own pace and will vary his tempo throughout the stem to lull defenders to sleep before quickly accelerating past his defender.
All over his tape, you'll notice that his ball skills are legit, as he can climb the ladder, showing off some serious hops and winning at the catch point, particularly in the low red zone area. Downs can create space for himself underneath as a route runner and has impressive change-of-direction skills. Against zone coverage, Downs is an expert at reading multiple defenders and finding the open void in the defense.
Downs maximizes his yards after the catch potential by positioning his body and feet upfield before even securing the catch, switching from receiver to runner in an instant.
Verdict
As you can see, both players are ultra-talented with enticing abilities that all teams covet, but they have different skill sets nonetheless. Ultimately, I think Flowers has a little bit more upside because he's a more dynamic athlete with game-breaking potential as a No. 2 wideout at the next level.
I have a bit more faith that Flowers will be more inside/outside versatile long-term whereas Downs feels like he's destined for a slot role for the foreseeable future. Flowers is a bit higher in my receiver rankings headed into the NFL Combine and appears to be primed to take advantage of a weaker receiver class, generating legitimate first-round buzz at the moment.
However, Downs is a darn good player in his own right and would be a wonderful consolation prize for the Steelers. Pittsburgh needs a chain mover, and I think Downs has that sort of potential at the next level with his football I.Q. and ability to uncover regardless of man or zone coverage. He's not quite the athlete that Flowers is, but he's still capable of accumulating splash plays as a ball carrier too.
We all saw how difficult of a time the Steelers had in the red zone last year and Downs has the ability to win one on one matchups with his route running or his in-air expertise.
As much as I like Flowers, Pittsburgh has bigger needs than slot receiver, and using pick 17 on one in this particular class seems unwise. I'm fully convinced that they will take one by the end of day two and Downs will more than likely be one of the best options on the board, especially if he were to still be available by pick 49.
Seeing either of these guys in black and gold would definitely be a sight to behold, but the cost could be the deciding factor.
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