Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
With the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Miami OT Ereck Flowers. While many speculated they would pick Brandon Scherff, the Iowa guard was taken off the board four picks earlier. It’s possible the Giants had Flowers ranked higher than Scherff, but it was imperative that they bolster their offensive line.
The Miami tackle stands at 6-foot-6 and 329 pounds. At the combine, he benched more than anyone at 37 reps. He is an absolute monster.
Eli Manning is still the most crucial player to the Giants’ success, and he played behind a mess of an offensive line in 2014. Only veteran Will Beatty had a strong season, and although New York will have Geoff Schwartz returning from injury, which allows Weston Richburg to move to his more-natural center position, they still need depth.
With the addition of Flowers, the Giants have guaranteed that Manning will have a great line in front of him. Although he played left tackle at Miami, it’s likely he will shift over to right tackle, which will then force Justin Pugh to move into guard, a transition he’s admitted to being comfortable with. The selection of only one player managed to give the Giants an upgrade at four OL positions.
Offensive linemen very often aren’t exciting picks, but they are often smart ones. Football starts in the trenches, and adding a player of Flowers’ quality with a top-10 pick is the first step for the Giants’ returning to the playoffs.
Heading into the second year of OC Ben McAdoo’s system, Eli and the remainder of the offense will have a better understanding of the system. By giving Eli time to work after the snap, you can expect the Giants’ offense to be much more potent in 2015.
Matt Turner is a New York Mets Writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @MTurnerNY, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.
