Could The Steelers Draft The Next Antonio Brown In The 2023 NFL Draft?

Zay is 5-9, 182 pounds, and plays with great speed and agility. He can run past guys on the outside with his acceleration or use his route running to take a slant route to the house. He has a plethora of release packages and has incredibly fast feet. Although he is on the smaller side for receivers, he plays with great strength and is hard to bump off routes or catches. All of this might sound familiar.

Chris Simms did his annual wide receiver rankings for the draft on Monday. Flowers came in as his number-one receiver and drew an interesting comparison from Simms:

"It's hard not, and again, I know that's a huge name to throw out there but... the build, the style of running, the way [Flowers] runs routes... I was like 'this is going to sound ridiculous for me to write this,' I think he looks like Antonio Brown."

This comparison has more meaning to it than just a name. During the combine, Flowers had an informal meeting with the Steelers. He spoke about Brown, saying he looks up to the former Steelers wideout, especially with their South Florida connection. This is shown when you watch Flowers play. Brown is 5-10 and played at 185 pounds for most of his career, similar to what Flowers stands at currently. 

Flowers has top-end speed and some of the best routes in the draft. Some NFL teams might view him as a slot-only guy based on his size, which could hurt his draft stock. While he is full of traits and upside, he has a few weaknesses in his game, much like every prospect. He started with drop problems, but looks to have them under control by changing from a body catcher to grabbing the ball out of the air. He still has a small catch radius as compared to other prospects in the draft. All in all, his pluses outweigh the minuses. 

Steelers Wide Receiver Group

Flowers would immediately find his way onto the field next to George Pickens and Diontae Johnson. With the loss of Steven Sims and the unknown that comes with Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh's wide receiver room could use a playmaker like Flowers. While he can certainly hold his own on the outside, lining up in the slot with his speed and route running would give Kenny Pickett a dynamic weapon in the middle of the field. It would be highly unlikely for Flowers to be available at pick number 32, therefore, Pittsburgh would have to use their first selection (17) on him, barring trades.

Would you like the Steelers to select Zay Flowers when the draft comes around in April?