Getty Image / Stacy Revere
With just a few weeks left until the NFL Draft, there is still a whole lot of uncertainty about what the draft will look like.
As of yesterday, even pick 1 is a mystery and Dalton Kincaid was suddenly the betting favorite to be the first tight end selected.
One thing that didn’t seem to be much of a mystery was who the first receiver taken would be.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been in the conversation for that spot for a while now and has recently become a pretty decent-sized favorite to be the first receiver selected.
It turns out that his spot as the top receiver in this class may not be as safe as expected.
According to an ESPN report today on recent draft buzz, Zay Flowers’ draft stock has on the way up and he could be the first receiver drafted.
Mark Stoops praises Will Levis as 'a guy you can build a (franchise) around.'
That and much more from the NFL draft buzz file with @Jordan_Reid @nfldraftscout and me: What we're hearing on Round 1 QBs and potential sleeper picks https://t.co/wRw6EwgAWT
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 7, 2023
Also in pass-catching buzz, don’t be shocked if Boston College’s Zay Flowers is the first wide receiver off the board. His stock is surging.
Zay Flowers didn’t receive the same kind of buzz throughout the 2022 season as some of the other big names at the position because he played for a team that never won more than 6 games in a season during his college career.
However, that doesn’t change the fact that he put together a nice profile as a prospect.
Flowers’ breakout age of 20, 29.6% target share this past season, and his 94th percentile college dominator rating all point to him finding success at the next level.
Last season, he really put his abilities on display during his senior year with 78 catches for 1077 yards and 12 touchdowns before following it up by running a 4.42 forty-yard dash at the combine.
He is a smaller receiver, but has the speed and route running ability to be a solid contributor in the NFL.
It would still be surprising to see him taken over Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, and Quentin Johnston, but if this report is right then there’s a lot of value on Flowers at +330 to be the first wide receiver taken in this year’s NFL Draft.