Here’s what The Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the Ravens selected Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night.
Childs Walker, reporter: Lamar Jackson’s big day continues with the Ravens adding another dynamic target for their franchise quarterback in Zay Flowers. Flowers is on the small side, but he’s a deep threat from the slot who produced despite the fact he was surrounded by mediocre talent at Boston College. Teams raved about his character and work ethic throughout the predraft process. The Ravens still need a young starter at cornerback and could’ve had one in Joey Porter Jr. or Deonte Banks, but they chose to keep building a high-octane attack around their quarterback. It’s hard to argue with that thinking.
Mike Preston, columnist: Zay Flowers is what this offense needs: a speed guy. He is small, but can absolutely fly. He is a good complement to wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman because he can take the top off a defense.
Hayes Gardner, reporter: The Ravens inked their most important five-year deal earlier in the day in quarterback Lamar Jackson but got a key contributor with their first-round pick in Flowers. The draft seemed to play in their favor, leaving several good options available at No. 22 and I was a bit surprised they didn’t trade back a few slots to add more picks.
I was also surprised they didn’t take a cornerback. But wide receiver is also an area of need — as it has been for years — and Zay Flowers is a speedster and an exceptional athlete. With Jackson and Flowers now squarely on board, the Ravens’ offense got a lot better Thursday.
Tim Schwartz, editor: It’s Zay’s — and Lamar Jackson’s — day. The Ravens keep their star quarterback happy by taking the speedy receiver out of Boston College. While they have a need at cornerback, wide receiver has been a position of need during Jackson’s entire tenure in Baltimore, and general manager Eric DeCosta needs to keep swinging to hit one out of the the park. Maybe Flowers is that guy. His 4.42 40-yard dash time at the NFL scouting combine suggests he fits what the Ravens want to do on offense. This is a good pick and puts the cherry on top for Jackson’s memorable day.
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