The Baltimore Ravens don’t exactly have a shortage of young, talented players on the roster who are expected to make big contributions this season, but Zay Flowers is a name that has been mentioned on numerous occasions this offseason as a player who could have a breakout year in 2025.
Zay Flowers Could Join ‘NFL’s Elite’ in 2025
Connor Burke of the Ebony Bird sees the path for Ravens WR Zay Flowers to make a jump from a good receiver into the NFL’s elite in 2025.
“Flowers was already one of the best in the league in 2024, but the addition of DeAndre Hopkins could help him develop into a legitimate number-one wide receiver. The main area in which he struggled last year was as a deep threat. He had just one reception of more than 30 air yards, and had some drops on such plays, as well. However, he was dominant in nearly every other phase of the game,” wrote Burke. “At just 24 years old, Flowers is already one of the most elusive wideouts in the game. He jukes out oncoming defenders with ease, and his quick footwork makes him difficult to keep contained in open space. It also allows him to find openings through his routes, easily breaking open and acting as Jackson’s go-to target.”
Flowers produced the first 1,000 yard season of his career with 1,059 yards and four touchdowns over 74 receptions in 2024. This included a five-game stretch from Week 5 through Week 9 where the Boston College product had 5+ receptions for 100+ receiving yards in four contests.
Flowers’ usage in this Ravens’ offense is something resembles an elite receiver. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken has no hesitation setting up deep shots down the football field to him while consistently calling his number in the screen game to help funnel touches towards his talented wideout.
Does the Loaded Ravens’ Offense Limit Zay Flowers’ Production Ceiling in 2025?
The real argument against Flowers entering the elite WR conversation moreso revolves around the overall infrastructure of the Ravens’ offense.
“The Ravens ran the ball 47% of the time in neutral game script in 2023. That was 50% last year. Theyâre always near the top of the league in run rate. As a result, the opportunities for a guy like Flowers on a 25% target share are not the same as they would be on an offense that throws more,” wrote Jason Katz of Pro Football Sports Network. “Flowers and Rashod Bateman are back as the top two receivers. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely will share the TE role. The only main addition was DeAndre Hopkins, who is nothing more than a role player at this point in his career.”
The touchdown production is probably going to have a lower ceiling than most elite receivers in the league with players like Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins on the roster — who are all bigger-bodied options who are better suited for work in the congested red zone area.
If the Ravens had one of the worst defenses in the league and were forced to get into shootouts every week, then Flowers could produce the numbers during that impressive five-game stretch in the middle of the year.
Yet, the Ravens may have one of the best defenses in the league this season, which makes his case for a breakout year in 2025 a bit trickier to manifest with positive game scripts.
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