Name: Ereck Flowers
College: Miami (FL)
Class: SR
Position: OT
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 322
Background/Character | Leadership: 8 | Experience: 8 | Off-the-Field: 10 |
| Mental Capacity: 9 | Mental Toughness: 9 | Durability: 8 |
Flowers was a three-year starter, logging one complete season at both left and right tackle, and partial season between both. He had a minor knee surgery his junior season, but he returned the next game and delivered a great performance against Florida State. Flowers has no off-field concerns. He has experience in multiple blocking schemes as well.
Final Grade: 8.66
Athleticism | Balance: 10 | C.O.D: 9 | Explosiveness: 8 |
| Flexibility: 9 | Coordination: 9 | Body Type: 10 |
Ereck Flowers is an excellent athlete and it translates easily to the field. Flowers is rarely challenged athletically. He stays balanced throughout his kick slide and is able to reset his stance if gets knocked back. He’s very good when moving downfield, showing great awareness and movement skills.
Final Grade: 9.16
Blocking - Upper Body | Hand Strength: 9 | Hand Exchange: 8 | Initial Punch: 9 |
| Extension: 10 | Engaging: 8 | Intensity: 8 |
Considering his length and strength, Flowers can be a shut down left tackle, and he was for most of 2014. His ability to lock out defenders with his powerful hands and long arms is easily translatable to the NFL. Flowers can improve his punch location and quickness in which he moves his hands, but he is able to overcome small mistakes with his athleticism.
Final Grade: 8.66
Blocking - Lower Body | Anchor: 8 | Leg Drive: 8 | Lateral Quicks: 9 |
| Upfield Control: 9 | In Space: 9 | Foot Quickness: 9 |
Coming from a zone-blocking scheme, Flowers has shown that he is very impressive in space. His ability to reach the second level on run plays is a major asset because he can act as the lead blocker. His lower body could use more functional strength to help him churn his legs more effectively. An NFL weight program should be able to easily help him improve.
Final Grade: 8.66
Blocking Technique | Football IQ: 9 | Hand Placement: 9 | Kick Slide: 9 |
| Power Rush: 8 | Speed Rush: 9 | Body Tech: 9 |
Flowers is a pretty refined technician entering the NFL. His kick slide is very smooth, and he’s able to counter inside moves effectively with his balance. The best part of his technique is that he lands his punches with great placement. He stops defenders well for the most part. Randy Gregory somewhat exposed his ability to handle power, but Flowers won more than his fair share in that battle as well.
Final Grade: 8.83
| Player Comparison: | Duane Brown |
| Projected Draft Position: | 1st Round |
| Best Scheme Fit: | Zone-blocking scheme |
| Injury History: | Minor knee injury in 2014 |
| Career Accolades: | Second-Team All-ACC 2014 |
| Career Stats: | 37 career games played |
Final Analysis
When considering Ereck Flowers’ pure athleticism, length and strength, he is a very talented offensive tackle prospect as he enters the NFL. He has a great physical profile that allows him to overcome slight technical errors throughout the game.
He can add a little more functional strength, which will improve his abilities moving downfield with a defender. Against top competition, Flowers played well. His matchup against Randy Gregory showed that he can recover from great burst off the edge, and also handle elite power moves decently. Flowers can handle power better, however, but keeping his hands more active and re-directing the rusher.
These are small details that could separate him from an elite tackle in the NFL. He has that potential, and deserves a top-15 pick.
Final Grade: 8.85 - 1st Round Value