Pros, Cons, and a Summary of Leonard Floyd
Pros:
- Elite athlete, 4.6 speed plus agility
- Quick first-step
- Effective pass rusher, variety of moves
- Solid in both man and zone coverage
- Excellent hand usage
- Sideline-to-sideline range
- Very good in pursuit/tracking the ball carrier
- Relentless motor
Cons:
- Rail thin, needs to add upper & lower body strength
- Struggles to win at the point of attack & to set edge
- More of a drag-down tackler than a wrap-up tackler
- Tall and has a high pad level, loses leverage easily
- Inconsistent block shedder
- Lacking flexibility to bend around the edge
- Mediocre in run support
Summary:
Leonard Floyd is an interesting player. At 6’6″, he’s unique for his position, which is both a bad and a good thing.
The most impressive thing about Floyd is his athleticism, which is outstanding, regardless of his height. He tested like an elite athlete at the Combine and it shows on film. He’s got straight line speed and he’s got agility to match.
A quick first-step plus excellent hand usage allows him to keep himself clean coming around the edge. However, at his height, he struggles to dip under blocks and lacks the necessary bend to turn the corner on a consistent basis.
Floyd is also impressive in both man and zone coverage. He has the needed athleticism to stick with RB’s, TE’s and also a good amount of WR’s too. He has a good feel for zone as well, usually putting himself in the right place to make a play.
Lastly, largely thanks to his athleticism, Floyd has excellent range and pursuit ability.
Floyd isn’t without his flaws, however.
Many of his weaknesses revolve around his thin build and lack of strength. He needs to get much stronger in both his upper body and lower body.
He did show some ability to shed blocks and hold up at the point of attack, but it was far and few between.
Floyd also seems to be more of a drag-down tackler than a clean, wrap-up tackler. There were several opportunities he missed that he definitely should have had.
At the next level, I think Floyd is best suited as an off-ball LB, and a situational pass rusher. He can play some 3-4 OLB, but he’ll likely perform best as a 4-3 OLB in space.
As far as a fit with the Oakland Raiders goes, #14 is definitely too rich. Thanks to his athleticism as well as his pass rushing and coverage ability, I do think that a team will take him in the first round.
If he’s available at #44, there are a few other players I prefer (Karl Joseph, Darian Thompson, Jon Bullard), but Floyd would definitely be a good pick at that spot.