As a junior in 2014, started all but one game at left tackle and was second-team All-ACC selection. Flowers suffered a knee injury in the middle of the season and reportedly underwent a surgical procedure to repair the injury but missed only one game because of it. Admonished for using an obscene gesture toward Nebraska fans after an on-field skirmish. In 2013, started all 13 games at left tackle. In 2012, started four games as a freshman at right tackle. Ranked as a four-star prospect by Scout and Rivals coming out of Miami Norland High School. Helped lead team to a 15-0 record and Class 5A state championship. Was the only player at the NFL Scouting Combine who decided not to hire an agent.
PRO DAY RESULTS
Vertical jump: 27 inches
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
Big, athletic frame carrying more than 320 pounds with ease. Ascending mauler in the run game. Bender who is low man off snap and pops hips into block to leverage defender at the point. Combines hips, arm extension and upper-body power to consistently turn his man when base blocking. Once he gets upper hand in run game, he usually sustains and finishes. Secures combo block with a vengeance. Has feet to become solid zone blocker. Mean and highly competitive. Wants to dominate and gets surly when beaten on a snap. Special foot quickness in pass protection. Able to mirror and counter two-way rushers or B-gap blitzers. Uses quick feet and loose hips to turn, scramble and recover when beaten. Pass-set depth and technique improved as year progressed. Has played both tackle positions.
WEAKNESSES
Pass protection needs plenty of work. Footwork gets sloppy and undisciplined, causing base to narrow. Ducks head into contact and is a leaner in pass pro, creating balance problems. Rarely flat-footed upon initial hand contact. Throws hands rather than firing authoritative punch. Hands ride too high and too wide. Content to become grabby around framework of defender. Flagged for six holding penalties over last two seasons. Slow to secure and climb on combo blocks and is often lacking balance on the way to target. Doesn't bring feet under him to sustain second-level blocks. Knocked off balance by smaller pass rushers due to poor balance. Hips looked tight and struggled to gain ground when asked to pass set in combine drills.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Round 1
NFL COMPARISON
Jack Mewhort
BOTTOM LINE
Flowers has good size and short area foot quickness, but he also features some lower body tightness and struggles to get proper depth quickly to consistently meet edge rushers. Some of Flowers' pass protection issue may be difficult to overcome. On the hand, his strength as a run blocker and ability to uproot his man and get them turned is undeniable. Flowers may be drafted as a tackle, but his best position could end up being as a guard where I would put a draft grade on him of 6.12.
html_removedSTRENGTHS: Broad shouldered and looks the part with a naturally wide frame...good arm length and functional upper body strength, using his inline power to win the point of attack and drive his man in the run game...athletic movement skills for his size, showing the footwork and hip flexibility to operate in space...nimble feet and carries his weight well...recognizes pressures, sinking-and-shuffling to beat rushers to the point...sets up quickly with correct body and eye position.
Still learning how to properly use his length, but extends well to initiate contact...finishes blocks with authority, fighting through the whistle with an active mean streak - enjoys the physicality of the game...comfortable in his own skin with a self-starting, confident attitude - decided not to hire an agent, choosing to handle those responsibilities himself...alert player and won't take snaps off...very reliable worker and pushes himself in the weight room...high pain threshold and hates to leave the field, toughing out injuries...good starting experience with 29 career starts on his resume, including 25 at left tackle.
WEAKNESSES: Leaner than ideal lower body...lumbering lateral moves with choppy footwork and frame tightness, especially when redirecting his momentum - allows quick-footed rushers to cross his face...undisciplined technique and forgets his body fundamentals at times - needs to keep his butt low and elbows in mid-shuffle...needs to relax, collect himself and stay patient in space, getting excited and overextended due to anxious tendencies.
Wild upper body mechanics and late hands, letting defenders attack his body...numerous false start penalties on his resume...medical records need examined after surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee (Oct. 2014), missing one game during his junior season.
SUMMARY: Although he could have used another year at the college level to clean up his mistakes and simmer awhile longer in the crock pot, Flowers has the size, athletic traits and competitive nature to be a long-term NFL starter - similar to La'el Collins, it doesn't always look pretty, but he gets the job done. He needs to be more reliant on his hands and technique, not just his broad-shouldered frame and strength, but possesses the hard-working preparation habits to adapt with NFL coaching. Flowers has experience in man and zone blocking concepts and has the versatile skill-set to fit at left or right tackle, although he might not be ready to start from day one at the next level. He is admittedly unpolished in several areas, but his best football is ahead of him - late first round pick who could go higher due to his upside.
--Dane Brugler
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PLAYER OVERVIEW
html_removedA four-star offensive tackle recruit out of high school, Flowers collected a few dozen scholarship offers, but decided to stay home and sign with Miami. He started the first four games at right tackle as a true freshman in 2012, coming off the bench in the final eight games. Flowers moved to left tackle in 2013 as a sophomore and started all 13 games. He missed one game due to injury as a junior in 2014, starting 12 games at left tackle, earning Second Team All-ACC honors. Flowers elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2015 NFL Draft.
Miami offensive tackle Ereck Flowers was selected by the Giants with the No. 9 pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Here's what you should know about the first-round pick:
• Top high school prospect Flowers was ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals.comand the 20th-best offensive tackle in his class, and he certainly looks like he will end up living up to that billing. Flowers was a two-year starter at left tackle at Miami after starting part-time right tackle as a true freshman.
• Strong like bull: At 6-6, 324 pounds, Flowers is straight out of central casting for NFL left tackles, and he has the requisite brute strength for the position. Flowers recorded 37 bench reps of 225 pounds at the NFL Combine in February, the most reps of any other prospect.
• Played a zone blocking scheme at Miami Any concerns that Flowers might have a steep learning curve, technique-wise, should be allayed by the fact that the Miami offensive line practiced a zone-blocking scheme, which is employed by many teams in the NFL. Zone blocking requires offensive linemen who are fleet of foot and like to get out in space and run block, which is Flowers' biggest strength.
• A former hoops star Before taking his talents to the gridiron, Flowers was a basketball star in high school, no surprise considering his size and light feet. He gave up the hardwood for football when he transferred to Miami Norland as a senior in order to attract more attention from scouts. The decision has clearly paid off.
• Quick healer Flowers sat out two games with an undisclosed knee injury, but ended up missing only two games after getting it surgically repaired. He was back in action against Florida State, and ended up shutting down one of the better pass rushers in college, Mario Edwards Jr.
I heard he was a reach at 9, more likely lower 1st round. The trouble is most of the other studs were gone by then . Hopefully Reese lucks out like he did with Beekham. Everyone had Sammy Watkins ahead of him for last years draft.
I think the Jets lucked out Williams was there at 6.
Flowers is gonna be great. I love this pick. I'm a Canes fan and go to a few games a year and he's gotten better and better. Did an amazing job keeping Brad Kaaya, a true frosh quarterback, upright last season. Just spitballing but he and Duke Johnson are pals, if he somehow falls to them in the third I wouldn't be shocked if they grabbed him. If he stays healthy he's going to be special too.
Flowers is gonna be great. I love this pick. I'm a Canes fan and go to a few games a year and he's gotten better and better. Did an amazing job keeping Brad Kaaya, a true frosh quarterback, upright last season. Just spitballing but he and Duke Johnson are pals, if he somehow falls to them in the third I wouldn't be shocked if they grabbed him. If he stays healthy he's going to be special too.
