Overrated 2016 NFL Draft Prospects
By jonfox
Oct 10, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jalen Hurd (1) runs the ball against Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Leonard Floyd (84) during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Leonard Floyd, OLB, UGA
Floyd is a prospect who came into the UGA defense with a lot of hype. And do to position changes and misuse, really has never lived up to his billing.
He started out as a dedicated edge rusher for their defense, then moved to ILB only to move back to OLB/edge rusher for his red shirt junior season. His admirers point to his size and speed as the main selling point.
Maybe it’s due to the change of positions, but the tape on Floyd looks like a 4th round pick. His physical tools, especially his speed is wasted because of his bad instincts and apparent inability to read a defense.
Here’s the tape of him playing against Alabama: Link
He’s dropping into coverage a lot for an edge rusher and often picks up the slot WR when a safety or nickel back is supposed to handle that assignment. When he does attack the ball, he never goes at full speed nor does he cover the backside cut well either.
He looks like a stiff player without good instincts and doesn’t put in the film work. More than anything else, he just looks lost.
Compare this to the tape from the 2014 season opener vs Clemson: Link
He looks better when in the elephant role as a dedicated rusher/attacker, but he still looks tentative when asked to do anything other than run straight at the QB. He gets lost and runs into blocks far too easily.
It’s hard to explain why he’s seen as a first round pick. Even if one wants to say that there’s a dearth of edge rushers available in the draft, a team can do better than Floyd.
Next: Another overrated edge rusher