NFL Draft Bust-O-Meter: 5 rookies who will fail to meet expectations
By Jon Dove
Leonard Floyd, Edge Rusher, Chicago Bears
Pick: 1st Round No. 9 overall
Bust-O-Meter: 3.9 out of 5
Leonard Floyd is an elite athlete whose explosiveness give him the potential to develop into an effected edge rusher. He combines his quickness with good length and a high-motor which are both skills seen in most productive pass rushers.
The issue is that Floyd has limited experience rushing the passer and lacks the bulk most NFL players need to withstand the physicality of the league. These are two major question marks for a player drafted with the 9th overall pick.
So much of Floyd’s value is projected based of his testing and a few flash plays he had while at Georgia. This is the type of projecting that gets NFL teams in trouble because nobody truly knows if Floyd can consistently generate pressure on the quarterback.
Floyd’s quickness is an important trait, but he’ll also need to improve his strength in order to become a complete player. The offensive tackles in the NFL are savvy enough to handle a pass rusher who only features one pass-rush move.
While the Bears are mainly looking for Floyd to generate pressure, he will also be expected to support the run. His lack of bulk comes into play here as he’ll have some trouble holding at the point of attack.
Floyd needs to develop into a full-time player who consistently reaches the double-digit sack mark in order to live up to his draft status. At this point, it’s a major stretch to say he’s likely to reach that level.
Next: Laremy Tunsil