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Ravens select Boston College WR Zay Flowers with 22nd pick
He'll team up with Lamar Jackson.
Zay Flowers made history Thursday night, becoming the first-ever Boston College wide receiver taken in the opening round of the NFL Draft.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Flowers – a 5-foot-9, 182-pound energizer from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – with the 22nd pick.
“I’m proud of the patience,” Flowers told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber. “Fought through everything, no matter what it was, adversity. I had my family, I had my friends, I had everybody by my side.”
He’ll team up with franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson, who agreed to terms on a five-year, $260 million contract earlier in the day.
Flowers’ eyes lit up at the prospect of playing with such a talented quarterback.
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“Tell him let’s do it,” he said with a grin. “We about to work. Let’s get to it.”
Flowers finished his BC career first all-time in receptions (200), receiving yards (3,056), and receiving touchdowns (29). This past season, he set a program record with 12 TD catches and tied the record with 78 receptions.
He turned down offers to attend other schools – with six-figure name, image, and likeness opportunities – electing to stay at Boston College last season and finish his communications degree.
“I think it was hard for him, because what young kid and what family doesn’t need that money?” Boston College coach Jeff Hafley said. “But Zay wanted to remain loyal to his teammates. He wanted to finish this thing.”
Flowers is one of 14 siblings, and he values family more than anything. He sported a jacket with faces of his family members on the inside and a necklace to honor his late mother, Jackie Walden.
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Walden died in 2005, before she got the chance to watch Flowers play football. Though she’s been gone most of his life, she’s still an integral part of the man he’s become.
“She’s the reason I’m still doing this,” Flowers said. “She put me in this. It started with my mom, and my dad continued it. It means everything. That’s why I made sure she was with me tonight.”
His brother, Martin, whom he proudly admits was the best athlete in the family, died in 2017. The losses they’ve all endured have brought him even closer to his family.
Flowers was once a three-star recruit who didn’t receive a steady stream of offers until his junior year of high school. He chose BC and blossomed into a standout, and his stock skyrocketed this year in particular.
He’s become a favorite among NFL analysts in recent months, drawing praise for his speed, agility, and versatility, among other traits.
Said Louis Riddick: “He’s just one of these guys that is a matchup nightmare.”
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