NFC East Draft Party

STRENGTHS

Weight-room star who can lift a house. Powerful run blocker with exceptional power in hips and legs. Moves well laterally and rarely allows defensive ends to set edge against him. Consistently gets push. Rolls hips under him at contact and will bring feet with him. Recognizes twists and delayed blitzes. Gets into set position with flat back when delivering punch. Respectable change of direction in pass pro and on second level. Shows second effort and recovery ability in pass pro. Able to hit moving targets in space. Swings hips into position in cut-off blocks. Improved cut-off blocking from junior to senior year. Exhibits composed, efficient movement.

WEAKNESSES

Will default to sumo-style power push rather than leg churning at times. Not a grab-and-control pass protector. Opens the gate earlier than you would like against edge rushers offering two-way goes. Tightly wound lower body with average bend. Sometimes gives one-shot effort on second-level blocks, allowing his man back into the play. Has dominant finishing traits, but not a consistent finisher of blocks. Would love to see more fiery play demeanor from him.

DRAFT PROJECTION

Round 1

BOTTOM LINE

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

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.

STRENGTHS

Runs a good route and competes hard on every snap. Able to drive defender into a poor leverage position. Bouncy, quick feet for burst out of breaks. Adequate separation quickness and twitch. Understands his position. Will improvise to get open for scrambling quarterback. Highly instinctive in space with consistent feel for working his way to open spaces as a presentable, ready target. Almost always works his way back to the throw when needed. Natural hands. Has snatch-and-run readiness after the catch with initial quickness to make things happen. Tracks the ball over his shoulder and careful not to crowd himself against the boundary. Dominated the competition over second half of the year. Dangerous punt returner.

WEAKNESSES

Quicker than fast. Has some straight-line to him with just average fluidity through hips. Unable to blow by cornerbacks and create separation over the top. Play strength is below average. Had issues shaking Oregon State CB Steven Nelson. Will get stuck in low gear from time to time by long, press corners with strength. Lean frame. Worked well from bunch formations and might rely on pre-snap movement to free himself, depending on matchup. Will have to prove he can work inside and take punishing shots from NFL defenders. Willing blocker but lacks the core strength to be consistently effective at it.

DRAFT PROJECTION

Round 2

SOURCES TELL US

“Right off the bat, his draft value has a ceiling because he’s a slot receiver. At least that is how I see it. I don’t think he has the speed to get open outside. He’s a good value in the middle rounds, though, because of his return=game potential.” — NFC South scout

BOTTOM LINE

Intelligent, instinctive receiver with an advanced feel for getting himself open against zone coverage and off man. Play speed doesn’t match timed speed. Needs to force cornerbacks to respect him over the top.. Agholor’s best position could be working from the slot as a reliable possession receiver who can step right into the punt-returner job on Day 1.

STRENGTHS

Extremely smart and instinctive on the field. Shows above-average anticipation of routes. Is able to sniff out rub routes and works to avoid them. Flashes recovery speed downfield and gets head around to find ball and make a play on it. Uses instincts and adequate closing burst to disrupt the catch. Generally reliable tackler. Team captain and leader on the field and in the locker room. Scouts say he’s willing to play hurt and inspires his teammates.

WEAKNESSES

Plays with high center of gravity. Has difficulty gearing down quickly and changing directions. Doesn’t always play with feet under him. Will lose balance and footing too often. Not a quick-twitch athlete. Feet show noticeable stall before firing forward out of backpedal. Willing to tackle but not a physical player. Suffered season-ending shoulder injury in seventh game of 2014 season.

DRAFT PROJECTION

Round 1 or 2

SOURCES TELL US

“High-character player with the vision and instincts you want from an NFL cornerback. I’m not sure I like him in man coverage but there is a place for him in our league. Really nice young man who you cheer for.” — NFC North scout

BOTTOM LINE

Instinctive cornerback with good size and adequate speed. Has the ball skills and anticipation needed for the position. Jones’ balance and overall athleticism could be a concern in man coverage and his season-ending shoulder injury will need to be examined. He would be an interesting free safety prospect with his instincts, but might lack the physicality for the position.