Baltimore Ravens 'Thankful' Los Angeles Chargers Passed on WR Zay Flowers in April's NFL Draft

After they passed on him in this year's NFL Draft, Baltimore Ravens rookie receiver Zay Flowers had a big game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

While Thanksgiving has passed, the Ravens can still be thankful, especially after Sunday's 20-10 win over the Chargers. Baltimore fans are still thanking Los Angeles for their decision to pass on Zay Flowers with the No. 21 overall pick in this past April's NFL Draft. 

Instead of Flowers, the Chargers chose to make Quentin Johnston the second of four receivers taken in the first round, leaving Flowers available for the Ravens to take at No. 22. 

While it can be difficult for rookie receivers to make an instant impact in the NFL, as typically only the cream of the crop do, Flowers has become a standout. Heading into Sunday, Flowers was the Ravens' leading receiver statistically, and he only managed to add to that with a big game against the team that could've selected him.

Zay Flowers / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The rookie out of Boston College found the end zone twice. First on a three-yard touchdown reception, then again on a jet sweep for 37 yards, highlighting a night where he finished with 62 all-purpose yards on six touches. Johnston's logged seven yards on one catch for the Chargers.

As for comparing their numbers throughout the season, Flowers now sits at 613 yards and two touchdowns on 58 receptions, while Johnston has 190 yards and a touchdown on 21 catches. At the same time, it is still entirely too early to call Johnston a "bust," as he could still find his stride. Yet, Flowers has gotten off to a much better start and could be in for an even bigger role to close out his rookie year.

"We're always trying to look for opportunities for [Zay Flowers] and some of our other players to get the ball down the field; sometimes it [doesn't] present itself," Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said of Flowers on Monday. "The other night, he was certainly in some of those pockets. [On] some of the plays, we may have checked the ball down; we were trying to get him down the field. He's a guy you're trying to get the ball to in a number of ways."

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The Ravens will not be in action this weekend as they enter their bye week. Following the off week, Baltimore will look for its third-straight win when they host the Los Angeles Rams on December 10.