NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah says USC’s Jordan Addison is “the most complete receiver” in the draft, but he dropped a lofty comparison on Boston College’s Zay Flowers and believes he could be a “great fit” with the Ravens.
Jeremiah also said both fit what he looks for in receivers coming out of college: polished route runners. The three best route runners in the class, according to Jeremiah, are Addison, Flowers and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who missed almost all of the 2022 season due to a hamstring injury.
“Now, they came in all different sizes and speeds, but it was kind of the craftsman and true route runners that translated really well” to the NFL throughout the past decade, Jeremiah said on Glenn Clark Radio March 16. “Some of the height-weight-speed guys that were raw, there’s a pile of busts in that in that group with that skill set who just didn’t have any route polish.”
Addison ranks No. 9 on Jeremiah’s latest big board published on March 9. Addison began his college career at Pitt and earned the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in college football in 2021, when he caught 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns as Kenny Pickett’s top weapon. The 5-foot-11, 173-pound receiver then moved on to USC, where he caught 59 passes for 875 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2022.
“To me, I think he’s the most complete receiver,” Jeremiah said. “I think he can play outside, I think he can play inside. He’s an outstanding route runner. He can get over the top with speed, and he can do things after the catch.”
Flowers ranks No. 24 on Jeremiah’s big board. The 5-foot-9, 182-pound receiver played four years at Boston College, catching 200 passes for 3,056 yards and 29 touchdowns from 2019-2022. He saved his best for last, catching 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior.
Jeremiah compared him to Tyler Lockett, who has been one of the most dependable receivers in the NFL since the Seattle Seahawks took him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Lockett, 30, has played in 15 or more games in all eight of his seasons in Seattle. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound receiver has caught 533 passes for 7,100 yards and 54 touchdowns in 127 regular-season games.
“For those that haven’t seen him at Boston College, if you’ve seen Tyler Lockett and what he does for the Seahawks, I think Zay Flowers would do the exact same thing,” Jeremiah said. “I think he would be an excellent fit. They’re darn near identical when you look at all their workout numbers and all that stuff, it’s identical.”
| Tyler Lockett (2015) | Zay Flowers (2023) | |
| Height | 5-foot-10 | 5-foot-9 |
| Weight | 182 pounds | 182 pounds |
| Arm | 30 inches | 29 1/4 inches |
| Hand | 8 3/8 inches | 9 1/4 inches |
| 40-Yard Dash | 4.4 seconds | 4.42 seconds |
| 10-Yard Split | 1.55 seconds | 1.53 seconds |
| Vertical Jump | 35.5 inches | 35.5 inches |
| Broad Jump | 10 feet 1 inch | 10 feet 7 inches |
Regardless of what comes of the quarterback situation in Baltimore, the receiver group will need to be addressed. After the 2022 season, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said “the one area that needs to be built is the wide receiver room,” and the draft is one avenue to achieve that goal.
Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, James Proche and Tylan Wallace are the team’s top returning receivers. Jeremiah says the best way to build around quarterback Lamar Jackson, should he remain in Baltimore, is with speed on the outside.
“You don’t need Lamar to beat you up 5 yards at a time through the air. He should be able to get explosives through the air just because you can run the ball so well,” Jeremiah said. “… You’ve got to have guys who can go out there and get it. I think speed is a nice complement to what they have on the ground. To me, a possession receiver doesn’t really do anything for me in this offense at this point in time.”
For more from Jeremiah, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of BC Football