Rico Flores Jr. WR Virginia |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #1 ROLE: Multi-Role Receiver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.52 seconds (44%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.7 DOB: 12/30/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #1 | |
| ROLE: Multi-Role Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.52 seconds (44%*) | |
| Age: 21.7 DOB: 12/30/2004 | |
| Overall Rating: |
75.0 / 100
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|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 75.6 | |
| Hands: |
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71% |
| Short Receiving: |
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71% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
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71% |
| Deep Threat: |
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71% |
| Blocking: |
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71% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#337
Position rank:
#38 (WR)
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| College Games: 24 College Snaps: 1001 | ||
ESPN RATING: 82/100
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247 RATING: 90/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.9 (97%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jalil Farooq - Maryland |
|
96% |
| Traeshon Holden - Oregon |
|
92% |
| Andrew Armstrong - Arkansas |
|
90% |
Draft Profile: Bio
After earning four-star grades from 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals at Folsom High School in California, Flores signed with Notre Dame and caught 27 passes for 392 yards and a touchdown across 12 games as a true freshman in 2023.He transferred to UCLA in December 2023. His 2024 debut season in Westwood ended after four starts because of an injury that required surgery, leaving him with 12 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown. Back on the field in 2025, Flores started eight of the Bruins' final nine games and totaled 26 catches for 274 yards with 14 first downs.
His busiest afternoon was a six-catch, 52-yard game against Nebraska, and he added four receptions for 50 yards at Indiana plus a two-catch, 59-yard outing at Ohio State. Flores entered the transfer portal again after the season and signed with Virginia for 2026, carrying two years of eligibility to his third program.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Sturdy 6-foot-2 possession target who works the intermediate middle
- Sure hands and body control at the catch point
- Moved the chains on 14 of his 26 catches in 2025
- Former four-star with starting experience at two Power Four schools
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- No touchdowns and just 274 yards in an injury-affected 2025
- Average speed, does not stress a defense vertically
- Extensive injury history including a surgery at UCLA
- Offers modest production after the catch and in contested situations
- Bounced through three programs without ever posting a breakout season
Scouting Report: Summary
Rico Flores Jr. is a sturdy possession receiver whose production has never matched his recruiting billing. A former four-star with starting experience at Notre Dame and UCLA, he works the intermediate middle with sure hands and good body control, and he moved the chains on 14 of his 26 catches in 2025. The reliability underneath is the selling point.The tape leaves plenty to want. He scored no touchdowns and managed just 274 yards in an injury-affected season, his average speed means he does not threaten a defense vertically, and his contested and after-the-catch work is modest. A surgery at UCLA is part of an injury history that, combined with three programs and no breakout, leaves him firmly in projection territory.
He fits a timing offense that values a dependable chain-mover underneath, and a move to Virginia gives him a third program and a fresh start. Overall, the hands and size give him a floor, but Flores projects as a developmental depth receiver and special-teams candidate whose draft case rests on staying healthy and finally producing the way his pedigree once promised, more roster projection than proven contributor at this stage. The best case is a dependable fourth or fifth receiver who wins on smarts and toughness, but the durability has to hold up first.
How other scouting services rate Rico Flores Jr. (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
486.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
41.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.