South Florida product Zay Flowers improving draft stock at NFL scouting combine

Zay Flowers, an NFL draft prospect from South Florida and former Boston College wide receiver, has been a highlight of this week’s NFL scouting combine, and his draft stock could be skyrocketing.

The week’s hype for Flowers, a former high school standout at Davie’s University School, started when trainer Nick Hicks, who also trains Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, posted a before-and-after photo of the 5-foot-9 Flowers transforming his body from 170 pounds to 183 — still without any evidence of fat. The image was picked up nationally in combine coverage and on social media.

Tacking on the muscle, Flowers crossed off one question as answered — that, at his diminutive height, he could fill out an NFL frame to handle the physicality of the pros.

When it came time to perform in on-field drills Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, Flowers also excelled, posting a 4.42-second 40-yard dash that accentuated the speed that was already known to be a strength in his game.

Flowers, one of the top wide receivers in the 2023 draft and possible first-round pick, has been checking off boxes since arriving in Indianapolis this week. His combine drew comparisons on NFL Network to five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith, who accumulated more than 14,000 receiving yards in the NFL over 16 seasons.

Smith was 5-9; Flowers officially measured in at 5-9¼. Smith weighed 184 pounds, and Flowers, officially, 182. Smith’s 4.45-second 40-yard dash was bested by Flowers’ 4.42.

“He’s a bigger dog than me,” said Smith, who is now an analyst on NFL Network. “I believe he’s special.”

Incidentally, Smith is one receiver Flowers said he models his game after, along with Antonio Brown, also a South Florida product.

“I’m excited,” Flowers said of his rising draft stock, “but I honestly don’t pay a lot of attention to it because I just got to go out on the field and do the work and I’ll let that take care of itself.

“I feel like anybody should see me as their first receiver off the board, but I don’t really pay attention to any of it. I just try to get my work done and keep moving forward.”

Flowers is grateful to possibly be the next great football player to get drafted highly in a journey that started in South Florida.

“That’s what I dreamed of as a kid, being one of those guys that come out of South Florida and put on for his city,” he said. “Being here and being able to do what I’m doing is, I think, a fine example of me doing it.”

Flowers gets to do it in the same draft class as his former University School teammate, Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh. The two once starred together at the small private school that’s on the same Nova Southeastern campus as the old Dolphins facility in Davie — before the team moved headquarters next to the stadium in Miami Gardens.

“That’s my best friend, Kenny McIntosh,” Flowers said. “Been playing little league with him since I was 4 years old. I had No. 43. He had No. 80. Being able to see my brother out here is something we dreamed of together.”

Said McIntosh, reminiscing of their little-league days: “He was the ‘X-Man.’ I was the ‘Blueprint.’ We had stuck together since high school, been together since high school. For us to separate in college, we knew we had to do our thing in college for us to be here at the same time, same year.”

McIntosh is not surprised that Flowers built his body the way he did ahead of the combine.

“All he do is work,” said McIntosh. “He put in years of work. He’s dedicated to this game, loves this game. He’s passionate”

Flowers said the biggest key was transforming his diet to eat more and intake more protein. His lifting sessions remained consistent with normal combine training.

He was never concerned the extra weight would slow him down

“I’ve been running with it for four weeks, so I think I’ll be fine,” he said.

That showed with his 40 time. The benefit in strength will be exhibited when wide receivers take on the bench press Sunday.

Along with strength training with Hicks at PER4ORM, Flowers has also worked on route-running with his longtime footwork specialist in South Florida, Tevin Allen of GoldFeet Global.

Some may try to pigeonhole Flowers as a slot receiver at the next level because of his size.

“I’m not just a slot,” Flowers said. “Seventy-five percent of my snaps were played outside. I feel like I can move around and play any position that they put me at.”

Beyond Smith and Brown, Flowers can also take from what Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill has been able to do for smaller wideouts.

“Tyreek Hill really changed it for smaller receivers,” Flowers said, “being able to do what he [does] and being able to put the ball in his hands and just scoring touchdowns, how it’s helped guys like me.”

With a combination at wide receiver like that of Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins are unlikely to take a wideout early in the draft. A homecoming for Flowers becomes especially unlikely considering Miami’s first pick is in the middle of the second round, and Flowers is all but guaranteed to be gone much earlier.

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