Bengals Re-Signing Tre Flowers Gives Them Even More Flexibility To LOAD UP In The 2022 NFL Draft

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My pretty-longstanding take on the Bengals' 2022 draft was that they should absolutely draft the best outside cornerback available at 31st overall and address any other needs later on. By re-signing Tre Flowers, though, Duke Tobin and Co. have even more options at their disposal.

A little background on Flowers: He began his career as a fifth-round pick in Seattle, and immediately converted from safety to cornerback. It was a rough transition, yet he still showed enough as a rookie to beat out multiple vets for a starting spot. With Shaquill Griffin on the other side of the field, though, Flowers was tested and burned often, and played less than a handful of games with Earl Thomas before ET's legendary Middle Finger To Pete Carroll While Being Carted Off The Field.

Yeah, the learning curve was pretty steep. Flowers has always been better in run support than in coverage when aligning on the outside. Not all his fault for how things kicked off, though. The Seahawks have turned into an antiquated football operation and alienated Russell Wilson to the point where he asked to be traded after all.

When Seattle waived Flowers in October, he landed with the Bengals. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo runs one of the most multiple, varied schemes in the NFL. Picking all that up on the fly was no easy task. But Flowers wound up carving out a role as a specialist against dynamic tight ends:

If you throw out Flowers' spot start in Week 18 (53 outside cornerback snaps) when the Bengals rested key defenders including CB1 Chidobe Awuzie, he was deployed more often in the slot and in the box. After logging 214 snaps on the perimeter with the Seahawks, his snap count in Cincinnati, excluding the regular-season finale but including the playoffs, went like this: 40 as box safety, 36 in the slot, eight as deep safety, and 61 out wide, per PFF.

Between his versatility as a defensive back and his solid play on special teams, Flowers brings a lot more value than a surface-level analysis of his career to date would seem to indicate. The Seahawks have had a dreadful draft record, and don't seem to know how to cater to their players' strengths. Flowers was much closer to the hybrid safety position he seems better suited for in the NFL once he landed with the Bengals.

Flowers is blossoming — SORRY I HAD TO — with a change of scenery, and has deal laden with significant incentives, which he may well achieve. The Bengals are actually putting Flowers in position to succeed, and he's embracing it. He can function as a de facto third safety, a big nickel in dime packages, or spell typical slot corner Mike Hilton on individual matchups against bigger-bodied pass-catchers.

LFG, Tre.

How Tre Flowers' low-key signing impacts Bengals' NFL Draft

OK so here's what I'm thinking. Let's not go with a cornerback at 31st overall automatically. Hell, just avoid the defensive backfield entirely until later. I'm a huge fan of local product Coby Bryant. He was tested plenty in college, because no one wanted to fuck with Ahmad Gardner on the other side. The Cincinnati Bearcats program is legit, and Bryant would be a great fit for the Bengals. He should be there in the third round at 95th overall, or even early on Day 3.

Anyway, as for what to do in the first couple rounds, I paused writing this piece to rifle through five different mock draft simulations via The Draft Network. I will rank the options based on who I took in each sim.

Round 1 targets:

1. Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M
2. Boye Mafe, EDGE, Minnesota 
3. Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
4. Tyler Linderbaum, OL, Iowa
5. Arnold Ebiketie, EDGE, Penn State

Analysis — I wouldn't necessarily hate the Bengals making another value re-signing by hanging onto Quinton Spain. However, if they opt to fill out their o-line with a new starter in the draft, Kenyon Green is an excellent choice. He can play anywhere and could be an invaluable depth piece if there are any injuries in the trenches. Tyler Linderbaum is a pure center who'd force Ted Karras to move to left guard, and would also be a strong choice.

For the EDGE defenders, Boye Mafe gets the edge over Arnold Ebiketie. His superior size gives him more versatility to slide inside on obvious passing downs, and Mafe ran a 4.52-second 40, so he has the athleticism to drop in simulated pressure looks.

I'm less sure Nakobe Dean will make it to 31 in real life than anyone except Green, but damn it'd be fun to see him flying all over the field alongside Logan Wilson.

Round 2 targets:

1. Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin
2. Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Oklahoma
3. Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis
4. Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
5. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

Analysis — DeMarvin Leal looked like a first-round lock heading into the season. At 283 pounds, he can function as a base defensive end, but could be that disruptive interior pass-rusher the Bengals need, too. I just don't know if I trust rolling the dice on him, because he might be more of a developmental option than an instant-impact player.

For an EDGE defender, Bonitto is excellent in space. His instincts are strong, and his ability to speed rush is unquestionable. The reason Chenal gets the nod as the No. 2 target is because the Wisconsin product is just as quick-twitch as Bonitto, but is an absolute terror as a run defender. I love the idea of unleashing Chenal as a blitzer, or even aligning him on the edge on occasion and see blockers try to take him and Trey Hendrickson on. Good luck with that!

Austin is further down the list, but he's that true, shifty slot option Cincinnati simply doesn't have right now. Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd aren't as sudden. The 5-foot-8 Austin is slippery in the open field, advanced as a route-runner and he has 4.32 40 speed.

BUT, to avoid too much controversy and ruffling feathers with Tyler Boyd loyalists — I love him too, btw — Trey McBride is coming off a 90-catch season at Colorado State. He may well be there at 63rd overall. Drew Sample isn't impressive catching the ball, and newly acquired Hayden Hurst is only on a one-year contract. I wouldn't mind throwing McBride into the mix.

…Will probably have another full-length Bengals mock sometime in the relatively near future…suffice it to say, it's gonna be a good time in a few weeks, as there aren't many dire needs for the team to fill. Can focus more on the best players available in each round as opposed to reaching for a need.

WHO DEY HYPE.