Instant Analysis: Giants select Ereck Flowers in 2015 NFL Draft

Well, New York Giants fans, that long, long, LONG wait is over. The results are in and our beloved Giants have drafted Ereck Flowers, OT, from Miami. Needless to say the pick will have it's fans ... and its detractors. It was not something that was unexpected, as the Giants were linked to Flowers long ago, and he's one of the top offensive linemen on the board. With Brandon Scherff gone, we can pretty much lock it in, right?

My instant reaction?

I'm "okay" with it. If we were going to go offensive tackle, my top pick would've been Andrus Peat. However, Flowers brings some nasty to the offnesive line. I compared him to a sloppy Greg Robinson. He's inefficient, but he's angry. He's got better footwork than Brandon Scherff and he's a lot nastier than Andrus Peat.

For me personally, he was #24 on my big board, which received a first round grade. At this point in time, for me, he's a reach in the sense that I felt like better players were available. However, he's not a reach in that there's no chance he lasts till the Giants pick in the 2nd round.

There's very few reasons he wouldn't be a day 1 starter. He's inefficient, sure, but with better conditioning, his technique can improve. The offensive line is taken care of. The Giants could use a little bit of depth, but for all intents and purposes, we're looking at a starting five of Will Beatty - Justin Pugh - Weston Richburg - Geoff Schwartz - Ereck Flowers.

That's a lot of beef on the right side. A lot. He played in a similar blocking scheme that the Giants utilize, which no doubt influenced the pick.

Analysis

Flowers was No. 28 on the BBV Big Board, garnering the highest 2nd round grade. I know many won't be happy with that, but again, I guarantee he wouldn't have lasted till round 2. Preferably, a trade down would've been ideal, but hell, that's easier said than done.

Jerry Reese had this to say about him:

"We think it's all upside with him. Young. Powerful. Tough. He's got a nasty streak," Reese said. "We project him as a really good football player first. Where he ends up, that's up to our coaches."

From my 'Prospect Profile' I said this:

He's one of the few true left tackle prospects but could easily line up on the right side. His balance issues and strength are really frustrating to watch on film, but watching him move around effortlessly is almost breathtaking. A super high-end developmental player for me, he's worthy of a first-round pick, but you have to have a contingency in place.

That contingency is obviously Justin Pugh. The Giants likely push Pugh inside, but in the case that Flowers doesn't cut it at right tackle, they can always switch positions. I'm not a huge fan of him inside, but many prognosticators feel he can seamlessly transition inside. Either way, like I said, the Giants are done.

Pro Football Focus is a fan of the pick.

As you can see, Flowers was among the 12 best pass protectors in the nation. That's despite him essentially playing with bad technique. It's because of his size and speed. He just envelopes people and doesn't let 'em through. They are also a fan of his run blocking:

Perhaps the best run blocking tackle in the draft class, Ereck Flowers was also among the most efficient. He only had a handful of negatives on his 332 run blocks.

Final Word

Let's take one quick look at his strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

Run blocking comes naturally to him. He is one of the best in the nation at getting to his blocks out in space and locking on to his targets. When he gets there, it's like a literal hurricane hits the defender. He's got a vicious punch that he puts his weight behind. He's going to flatten someone when he gets the chance and he's brutal.

He's also got tremendous upside. People his size, strength, and quickness don't come along too often. If he can fix his technique and get better conditioned, we're looking at a Pro-Bowl caliber lineman that can play four positions on the line. A destructive presence.

Weaknesses

Technique, technique, technique. He's sloppy. Hand placement is awful and his footwork needs work. He's got stuff to clean up and it's a lot. That's where the risk comes in with him. There's a ton to work on. That being said, he gives you a lot to work WITH. All of it is fixable.