Draft Profile: Leonard Floyd

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A look at former Georgia pass rusher, Leonard Floyd, and whether or not he fits with the Jaguars.

By Jordan de Lugo

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Who Is This Guy?
Leonard Floyd is a do it all edge defender from the University of Georgia. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Floyd is a 23 year old Junior who excelled in both football and track in high school. Floyd was a three year starter at Georgia where he earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman team in 2013 and Second Team All-SEC just last season. He is a versatile player that will almost certainly get drafted in the first round, but likely outside of the Top 10 picks. 

Strengths
At Georgia Floyd was asked to do a lot. He was an edge rusher, an outside linebacker, and even had intermediate to deep zone coverage responsibilities. While Floyd was highly versatile at Georgia, he was at his best when rushing the passer. He has an incredible first step with great speed and length to get around the edge. He had good, but not great production while at UGA, recording 17 sacks, 26.5 tackles for loss, and 182 tackles in his career. Being asked to do so much for the Bulldog defense greatly limited his sack numbers, but his versatility and incredible athleticism are enough to put him on every coaches radar. The combine helped to solidify Floyd's draft stock. Standing 6'6'' and weighing in at 244 pounds, Floyd was able to run a 4.6 40 yard dash. He also showed incredible explosion with a ridiculous 39.5'' vertical and 127'' broad jump. Floyd's versatility, athleticism, and natural bend around the edge will make him an incredibly attractive prospect.

Weaknesses
By far Floyd's biggest weakness is his thin frame. He simply must add functional strength to become a consistent player in the NFL. He is also a bit raw as a pass rusher, almost always relying on his pure athleticism to beat offensive tackles. He doesn't show a diverse set of pass rush moves and is unable to beat tackles with hand use or power. Floyd will also need to improve his tackling at the next level in order to stay on the field. Georgia's use of Floyd limited his ability to show off his true skill as a pass rusher, which will certainly give some pause when considering Floyd a first round pick. If Floyd is to become an effective player he must get stronger and refine his technique. Two BIG ifs. 

Is He A Fit With The Jags?
In terms of where he will be drafted, it's a bit tricky. He is projected to go anywhere from the tenth pick to the end of the first round. If the Jaguars decide to trade back into the teens then Floyd could be a target for them. Or if Floyd is available late in the first round they could trade their second round pick and another pick to move up and get him. So it will be tricky for the Jags to land this prospect, but not impossible. In terms of scheme fit, Floyd would be a great match with the Jaguars. Sure, he needs a lot of refinement and is the ultimate boom or bust pick in this years draft, but if the Jaguars hit on him he could play OTTO in base packages and be a pass rush specialist or cover linebacker in sub packages. His incredible height, speed/quickness, and explosive leaping ability will cause nightmares for offensive coordinators if he is able to put it all together at the next level. There really aren't any players that he compares to in the NFL as he is such a physical freak. If the Jaguars do end up with Floyd, it will show that Dave Caldwell is comfortable with taking an incredible risk, a risk that COULD land them the most dynamic player in the NFL draft this year.