The 2015 NFL Draft is loaded at the defensive end position. With guys like Randy Gregory, Shane Ray, Alvin Dupree and so many more, it’s easy to see why many teams are going to come away with a stud pass rusher. However, for the teams that may be out of range to draft a top defensive end prospect, they will have an excellent alternative option in the second round in a guy like Trey Flowers,

Out of Arkansas, there weren’t many defensive ends in the past four years in college than Flowers. A four-year contributor, Flowers totaled 185 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. Although his production over the past few years has been eye-popping, the reality is that for him to develop into a top pass rusher at the professional level, he will need to be in a scheme that tailors his strengths.

At 6-foot-2, 265 pounds, Flowers is not only undersized, but he’s underweight as well. Obviously, putting on weight would be ideal for the next level, but one of his best traits is how well he is put together. With long arms and wide shoulders, Flowers looks the part to play defensive end at the next level. He needs to work on his hands and his technique. However, his technique issues could turn into a strength if he gets the right coaching.

One of the best things Flowers has going for him is his ability against the run. With his long arms, Flowers does an excellent job at keeping distance between him and his blockers. He then excels at shedding the blockers using his wide frame. He’s not extremely athletic, but he is versatile and he wins his battles in the trenches using power and not speed.

In the NFL, Flowers could work in either a 3-4 defense or a 4-3 defense. However, he needs to be put in the right position. In the 3-4, Flowers projects best as a 5-technique as his long arms allow him to work against opponents in space. He also shows the ability to produce on both sides of the line. His best fit would be in the 3-4, but Flowers could easily be a left defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. He excels against the run and the right side for an offense is usually the running side.

Despite having success in four years at Arkansas, Flowers talked about the challenges he faced from having four different coordinators in four years.

“I want to make it a positive,” Flowers said. “If I can learn four defenses in four years it shows how coachable I am and the different schemes that I’m accustomed to. But the challenge we face is the terminology. It’s all defense, we’re all stopping the offense, but how you communicate with each other is probably the biggest challenge.”

Granted, with the combine this weekend, Flowers will have an absolutely huge opportunity to improve his draft stock with a good showing at the combine. He has great strength going for him, as it’s compacted in his 265-pound frame. However, he lacks speed and he won’t be able to get by on power alone in the NFL. If Flowers turns heads with a good combine performance, he could very well end up as a top-45 pick.