Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft: Ravens Continue to Add at Wide Receiver

The Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft will be a running mock draft that spans between now and round one of the NFL Draft. Each of the 31 picks (Miami forfeited their first-round pick due to tampering) will get a dedicated post. Here’s how it’ll work:

  • Every pick in the Mock Draft gets its own post. We will do one or two picks per day.
  • We will link back to previous posts with a running draft recap.
  • This feature will not include trades and will cover the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
  • The Ravens are on the clock in the Bleacher Nation NFL Mock Draft …

    The Pick Is In

    WR Zay Flowers — Boston College

    The Fit

    The Ravens recently added Odell Beckham Jr. to their wide receiver corps, but there’s still a need. Beckham is in Baltimore on a one-year deal, and who knows which version of OBJ they’re getting. If Baltimore wants to continue to prove to Lamar Jackson that they’re committed to him, drafting a receiver like Zay Flowers with their first-rounder makes too much sense.

    Scouting Report

    Zay Flowers might end up being the best wide receiver in this draft class when it’s all said and done. He’s a short and compact receiver who quickly gets in and out of route breaks, and his speed and explosiveness provide plenty of quickness in his release.

    But what sets Flowers apart from the rest of the very good receivers in this draft is his elite ability with the ball in space. He ranked top 20 nationally in yards after the catch (503), per PFF, and has 84th percentile speed (4.42 40-yard dash).

    But don’t get it twisted; Flowers has the vertical speed to get behind the secondary, and he has great body control and balance at the catch point.

    Steve Smith called Flowers a “bigger, stronger version of me.”

    Final Thoughts: Zay Flowers might be my favorite receiver in this draft, and I swear it has nothing to do with the shared last name. He’s fast, quick, and explosive, and he can flat-out make plays. The Ravens would be lucky to see him on the board at No. 22, and if they do, they should draft him. No question.

    Bleacher Nation’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft

    1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI) — QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
    2. Houston Texans — QB Bryce Young, Alabama
    3. Arizona Cardinals — EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
    4. Indianapolis Colts — QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
    5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) — DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
    6. Detroit Lions (via LAR) — EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
    7. Las Vegas Raiders — QB Will Levis, Kentucky
    8. Atlanta Falcons — EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
    9. Chicago Bears (via CAR) — CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
    10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) — DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt
    11. Tennessee Titans — T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
    12. Houston Texans (via CLE) — WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
    13. New York Jets — T Broderick Jones, Georgia
    14. New England Patriots — CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
    15. Green Bay Packers — TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
    16. Washington Commanders — CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
    17. Pittsburgh Steelers — CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
    18. Detroit Lions — CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
    19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — S Brian Branch, Alabama
    20. Seattle Seahawks — EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
    21. Los Angeles Chargers — WR Jordan Addison, USC
    22. Baltimore Ravens — WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
    23. Minnesota Vikings
    24. Jacksonville Jaguars
    25. New York Giants
    26. Dallas Cowboys
    27. Buffalo Bills
    28. Cincinnati Bengals
    29. New Orleans Saints (via SF)
    30. Philadelphia Eagles
    31. Kansas City Chiefs

    written by

    Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

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