Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley joins Phil Perry on the Next Pats Podcast to discuss what Zay Flowers would bring to New England and why he would be such a great fit with the offense
Zay Flowers' status as one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft appears intact.
Flowers participated in Boston College's pro day Friday with representatives from 23 teams -- including the New England Patriots -- in attendance, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
Judging by reports out of Chestnut Hill, Mass., Flowers made a pretty strong impression while running routes and going through receiver drills.
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As Reiss noted, Flowers projects as a first-round pick who could excel as a slot receiver and punt returner. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound wideout used his exceptional quickness to rack up 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns on 78 catches for the Eagles last season.
Might the Patriots be tempted to take Flowers with the No. 14 overall pick, or trade down to select him in the 20s if he's still on the board then? While New England spent a second-round pick on wide receiver Tyquan Thornton a year ago, the team still could use another athletic wideout to bolster a group that currently includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Thornton.
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For what it's worth, BC head coach Jeff Hafley believes Flowers would be a great fit in New England.
Next Pats Podcast: Jeff Hafley explains why Zay Flowers would CRUSH IT in the Patriots offense | Listen & Follow | Watch on YouTube
"I think he'd crush it," Hafley told our Phil Perry on a recent Next Pats Podcast. "I think putting him in the slot -- he can run all those option routes. He's going to be really hard to cover man to man. And then the catch-and-run element, I think, can take the top off in the slot, which you're starting to see a lot of people do.
" ... I think he'd fit in really well in the scheme that you're describing. I think he'd fit in well in most schemes, though. I think on third down he's going to be a problem."
The Patriots don't have a great history drafting wide receivers, so they may choose to address another need such as offensive tackle or cornerback in Round 1. They also may consider other wideouts such as USC's Jordan Addison, TCU's Quentin Johnston or Ohio State's Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who all project as first-round picks.
But Flowers is right in that mix and at least should be on the radar of Patriots fans in late April.