How the Ravens can unlock Zay Flowers as a No. 1 wide receiver | ANALYSIS

Zay Flowers second season was everything the Ravens could have hoped.

The former first-round pick became Baltimores first Pro Bowl wide receiver, had over 1,000 yards and emerged as a quality No.

1 wideout.But if Flowers is going to evolve into an elite receiver, itll require continued development and a more intentional effort from the Ravens to feature him like a top-tier wideout.

The team seems to be using him as such early in training camp.By increasing Flowers usage in the slot, the Ravens could unlock another element in their offense and the wideouts game.

Hes been more effective from that position in his brief NFL career and would allow for offensive coordinator Todd Monken to move Flowers around the field and use his top wideout as a matchup weapon.I just know how to create separation going across the field ...

Im explosive out of breaks, Flowers said Monday.

I feel like I can run every route in the route tree.Baltimore moved on from wide receiver Nelson Agholor in the offseason, who was the teams primary inside option the past two seasons.

But Flowers played over 40% of his snaps from the slot last season, a 7% increase from his rookie year, according to Pro Football Focus.

He had 26 catches for 374 yards from that position.Flowers 14.4 yards per catch from the slot were the seventh-highest in the NFL last season (among players with a minimum of 75 total targets).

That mark was ahead of star wideouts Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St.

Brown and Puka Nacua.The wide receivers 2.10 yards per route run out of the slot was actually better than his 1.85 yards per route run when he was lined up out wide, according to PFF.

His game fits well inside, as his shiftiness and run-after-the-catch ability are among the best in the league.At Mondays practice, Flowers repped more inside than outside during team drills.

Hes been the beneficiary of several explosive plays in practices.

Flowers said hes gotten even faster after running on hills during the offseason.Zay is a matchup problem anywhere on the field.

If you can get him the ball, something special is going to happen, wide receivers coach Greg Lewis said.NFL offenses are increasingly moving their top wide receivers around formations to find stronger matchups.

Seven of the NFLs top 10 receivers last season spent over 30% of their snaps in the slot.In the nine games where Flowers lined up in the slot on more than 40% of his snaps, he totaled 689 yards on 66 targets and 44 catches.

In the other games when his slot usage dipped below 40% he managed just 370 yards on 46 targets and 30 receptions.We just gotta get him the ball more, Monken said in June.

Hes not only an outside receiver that has elite route running skills but hes unbelievable with the ball in his hands, so you have a guy who fits two positions, plays two positions.You can use him in a variety of roles to get him the ball, which allows your volume to go up.

...

I expect him to take another leap in terms of his consistency.Part of the numbers disparity stems from the Ravens personnel packages.

When they throw more, Flowers naturally sees more snaps in the slot.

But in heavier formations, he often shifts outside or comes off the field entirely.The Ravens also have a dearth of options to play inside.

Tight end Mark Andrews has been one of the NFLs best slot options over his career, as he played nearly 50% of his snaps from that spot last season.

Tight end Isaiah Likely is a mismatch problem all across the field.

Tylan Wallace and sixth-round draft pick LaJohntay Wester also have experience inside.But DeAndre Hopkins, whos spent a majority of his career on the outside, joined the team this offseason, and Rashod Bateman has rarely shifted from his role as the X receiver.I believe our offense has no limits because we got guys that can play any position, quarterback Lamar Jackson said.

Like [Flowers] going inside, got [Hopkins] on the outside, [Bateman] outside, its no roof.Related ArticlesDo the Ravens have too many pass catchers? 2025 will test teams balance.Meet the mechanical engineering major turned Ravens training camp darlingRavens observations on 1st padded practice, a skirmish, rookies and kicker battleRavens QB Lamar Jackson lands in Madden 99 club with 6 other NFL starsRavens secondary among best in NFL but already dealing with injuriesIf coach John Harbaugh wants Flowers to take the next step toward becoming the best, using the third-year player in several different ways is the next step to him becoming a premier No.

1 wide receiver.

The fans are certainly treating him that way.

The calls for Zay at training camp are more than almost any other Raven.

He rewarded a young boy with a high five during Mondays practice, and the kid walked away with a proud smile on his face.If Flowers can take another leap, hell become even more of a household name.Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230..

This article has been shared from the original article on baltimoresun, here is the link to the original article.