Seattle Seahawks: 3 X-factors for the 2019 season

Tre Flowers, CB

While his fellow Seattle cornerback has generated headlines with claims of increasing confidence and focus, Flowers has been flying under the radar. The second-year cornerback wasn’t a star as a rookie, but he took on a larger role than most people anticipated he would. The Seahawks are hoping Flowers can take a step forward as a sophomore, coming that eluded Shaquill Griffin last season.

He picked up the cornerback position surprisingly quickly last season. At Oklahoma State, Flowers played safety, but the Seahawks moved him to cornerback shortly after selecting him in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The coaching staff and Flowers deserve credit for making the move in stride because it paid off for the team last season. Flowers started at cornerback for all 15 of his appearances.

Don’t get me wrong, Flowers was far from perfect last season and performed at an average level. However, making the position change and then starting as a fifth-round pick was impressive. While Flowers wasn’t shutting down wide receivers in the open field, he was one of the best red zone cornerbacks in the league. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave him an 86.6 grade in the red zone, which was the third-best among cornerbacks last season.

Flowers finished his rookie season with 67 combined tackles, six passes defensed and three forced fumbles. Seattle is already expecting a big season from Griffin, but Flowers could uplift the defensive backfield if he comes out with a strong season.