5 NFL rookie WRs likely to fall short of expectations in 2023 ft. Zay Flowers

The dust has settled on the 2023 NFL Draft, and rookies across the league are settling into their new surroundings.

Four wide receivers were selected with successive picks in the first-round this year, with many franchises prioritizing helping their quarterbacks on the perimeter.

However, there are no guarantees that they'll work out with their new teams. Some teams took chances on wideouts who may not fit the scheme but were too talented to pass up on.

That said, here are they.

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#5 - Marvin Mims, Denver Broncos, Oklahoma

Marvin Mims at the NFL Combine

Marvin Mims was taken by the Denver Broncos with the final selection of this year's second round. However, he'll have some work to do just to see the field.

The Broncos have decent depth at WR with Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Marquez Callaway and KJ Hamler likely ahead of Mims in the depth chart. There'll be little surprise if he doesn't make much impact in year one.

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#4 - Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers, Michigan State

Jayden Reed at the NFL Combine

The Green Bay Packers took Michigan State WR Jayden Reed with the 50th overall pick, but he'll not be catching passes from Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets this offseason, with Jordan Love taking over as QB1 in Green Bay.

Love is still an unknown commodity, having started just one career game despite being drafted back in 2020. If Love can play better than expected, Reed has a chance to succeed, but one is entirely dependent on the other.

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#3 - Jonathan Mingo, Carolina Panthers, Ole Miss

Carolina Panthers Rookie Minicamp

The Carolina Panthers took Ole Miss WR Jonathan Mingo in round two of this year's draft, as they look to complement first overall pick Bryce Young.

However, the Panthers have a plethora of wideouts who may stop Mingo seeing the field often. Carolina has Adam Thielen, DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, and Terrance Marshall Jr., who will all start 2023 ahead of Mingo on the depth chart.

There's also no guarantee Young will be the the franchise QB the Panthers are looking for, so this tandem may not be overly fruitful in year one.

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#2 - Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals, Stanford

NFL Arizona Cardinals WR Michael Wilson at Stanford

After AJ Green's retirement, the Cardinals looked to fill his void by taking Michael Wilson out of Stanford with the 94th overall pick.

However, question marks are still surrouding Kyler Murray, in both his attitude and fitness.

Arizona also has plenty of wideouts for Wilson to compete with for reps, including DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown.

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#1 - Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens, Boston College

2023 NFL Draft - Round 1 - Zay Flowers

The Baltimore Ravens made Boston College WR Zay Flowers their round-one selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. This came after the Ravens ended the Lamar Jackson contract saga and tied down their franchise QB to a long-term deal.

However, Baltimore is a run-heavy team and with Jackson sticking around, this will likely continue to be the case. This spells bad news for Flowers, who will struggle for both targets and yards in the Ravens scheme.

Not only that, the Ravens signed Odell Beckham Jr. and have Rashod Bateman in the WR room, both of whom will be direct competition for Flowers.