Zay Flowers. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

All-Pro CB reveals Ravens' X-factor

By Aaron Becker | Last updated 7/27/23

The Ravens certainly have a lot to be excited about with their new-look offense, and after the first day of training camp, an All-Pro cornerback revealed who he believes is the team's X-factor.

"[Zay Flowers] is a young player but a lot of times you get in front of a younger guy and they're not as polished. ... but he's pretty polished," Marlon Humphrey told reporters. "He has that X-factor ... I think the sky's the limit for our receiving core."

"He has that X-factor."

.@marlon_humphrey on @ZayFlowers: pic.twitter.com/K2pkjBBKjz
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) July 26, 2023

This isn't the first time, or second for the matter, that Flowers has received praise since being drafted by Baltimore in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 22-year-old has already received comparisons to great receivers such as Antonio Brown, DeSean Jackson and Stefon Diggs, and former NFL WR James Jones recently said Flowers looked like the Ravens' "best WR" and it "isn’t even close."

It was quite the statement as Baltimore has first-round wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman as well.

However, Humphrey believes he is different, comparing his route-running skills to the likes of wide receivers Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy, who are known to be some of the best route-runners in the league.

Pro Football Focus even called him the "best pure separator in the draft class" after posting 78 catches for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2022 at Boston College.

If Flowers can translate his play to the NFL level, defenses beware.

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