From OnlineAthens.com
February 23rd, 2016 05:03 PM
There’s no doubt that Leonard Floyd is considered Georgia’s top prospect in this year’s NFL draft.
Whether he lands as a first-round draft pick or becomes a game-changer at the next level is a matter of debate.
The rangy Dodge County product showed during his three seasons with the Bulldogs he can be a pass rush menace, but he also left some lingering questions about his ability to perform consistently.
This week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis will be the first chance for teams to get an up close look at Floyd since his Bulldog career ended. The fourth-year junior outside linebacker did not take part in postseason all-star games.
How Floyd measures up in testing off the field may be just as important or more than what he does on it.
Georgia listed Floyd at 6-foot-4, 231 pounds.
“Teams are eager to get accurate measurements for Floyd, who throughout his time at Georgia sported a much leaner, lankier frame than most of the successful rush linebackers starring in the NFL,” said Rob Rang, analyst for NFLDraftScout.com. “Besides the height, weight and arm length measurements, scouts are also eager to see Floyd's performance in the athletic drills, specifically, the 10-yard splits of the 40-yard dash (gauging explosiveness) as well as the 3-cone and short shuttle drills (showing change-of-direction), attributes considered critical to pass rushers.”
Floyd is one of eight Georgia players invited to the combine, joining defensive lineman Sterling Bailey, fullback Quayvon Hicks, outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, running back Keith Marshall, nose guard Chris Mayes, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell and offensive tackle John Theus.
Leading tackler and inside linebacker Jake Ganus was a notable omission.
Mitchell is taking part in a campaign to support wounded Special Operations members. Fans can pledge a donation for every inch he records in the vertical jump at the combine.
Players began arriving at the combine on Tuesday. On-field workouts start with the running backs, offensive lineman and specialists on Friday and continue with the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends on Saturday. The defensive lineman and linebackers go Sunday and the combine concludes Monday with the defensive backs.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper doesn’t have Floyd in his latest first-round mock draft.
“Week to week he was too quiet in some games,” Kiper said. “He was handled by some tackles that shouldn’t be able to get the best of him. I look at him as a possibility for Seattle or Arizona (at picks 26 and 29). I had him going to Arizona in the first mock draft that I did. …I think the combine will be important to determine if he will in fact be a late first-round pick.”
Kiper wants to see what Floyd weighs in at when he steps on the scale in Indy.
“The weight is important for pass rushers in the NFL,” Kiper said. “If you look at the history and the sack totals…it’s important. He has to get that weight up a little bit. I want to see what he weighs in at because we don’t have accurate measurables on these underclassmen until we get to the combine. Weight for Floyd is going to be important.”
Floyd is ranked the No. 4 edge rusher in the draft by Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. Floyd finished his Georgia career with 17 sacks, ranking 11th on the all-time list, and was second on the team with 74 tackles. He was used at inside linebacker early in the season.
Jenkins’s four sacks this season was just a half a sack behind Floyd’s team lead.
He had a relatively quiet Senior Bowl last month in Mobile, Ala., but has a chance to raise his stock as well this week for the April 28-30 draft.
“Jenkins, I have right now a third or fourth-round grade on,” Kiper said. “He doesn’t have nearly the explosive qualities of Floyd, but he is a more physical player, a more multi-dimensional player. But, he doesn’t give you the upside that Floyd does.”
Rang says besides quarterbacks, pass rushers are “king” in the NFL now and this draft is strong at outside linebacker.
Few, however, have Floyd’s pass-rushing experience, which has him “in the thick of the first round conversation. However, given that Floyd's production decreased each year at Georgia, he certainly could help himself with an impressive week at the combine.”
...READ MORE HERE...
February 23rd, 2016 05:03 PM
There’s no doubt that Leonard Floyd is considered Georgia’s top prospect in this year’s NFL draft.
Whether he lands as a first-round draft pick or becomes a game-changer at the next level is a matter of debate.
The rangy Dodge County product showed during his three seasons with the Bulldogs he can be a pass rush menace, but he also left some lingering questions about his ability to perform consistently.
This week’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis will be the first chance for teams to get an up close look at Floyd since his Bulldog career ended. The fourth-year junior outside linebacker did not take part in postseason all-star games.
How Floyd measures up in testing off the field may be just as important or more than what he does on it.
Georgia listed Floyd at 6-foot-4, 231 pounds.
“Teams are eager to get accurate measurements for Floyd, who throughout his time at Georgia sported a much leaner, lankier frame than most of the successful rush linebackers starring in the NFL,” said Rob Rang, analyst for NFLDraftScout.com. “Besides the height, weight and arm length measurements, scouts are also eager to see Floyd's performance in the athletic drills, specifically, the 10-yard splits of the 40-yard dash (gauging explosiveness) as well as the 3-cone and short shuttle drills (showing change-of-direction), attributes considered critical to pass rushers.”
Floyd is one of eight Georgia players invited to the combine, joining defensive lineman Sterling Bailey, fullback Quayvon Hicks, outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins, running back Keith Marshall, nose guard Chris Mayes, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell and offensive tackle John Theus.
Leading tackler and inside linebacker Jake Ganus was a notable omission.
Mitchell is taking part in a campaign to support wounded Special Operations members. Fans can pledge a donation for every inch he records in the vertical jump at the combine.
Players began arriving at the combine on Tuesday. On-field workouts start with the running backs, offensive lineman and specialists on Friday and continue with the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends on Saturday. The defensive lineman and linebackers go Sunday and the combine concludes Monday with the defensive backs.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper doesn’t have Floyd in his latest first-round mock draft.
“Week to week he was too quiet in some games,” Kiper said. “He was handled by some tackles that shouldn’t be able to get the best of him. I look at him as a possibility for Seattle or Arizona (at picks 26 and 29). I had him going to Arizona in the first mock draft that I did. …I think the combine will be important to determine if he will in fact be a late first-round pick.”
Kiper wants to see what Floyd weighs in at when he steps on the scale in Indy.
“The weight is important for pass rushers in the NFL,” Kiper said. “If you look at the history and the sack totals…it’s important. He has to get that weight up a little bit. I want to see what he weighs in at because we don’t have accurate measurables on these underclassmen until we get to the combine. Weight for Floyd is going to be important.”
Floyd is ranked the No. 4 edge rusher in the draft by Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. Floyd finished his Georgia career with 17 sacks, ranking 11th on the all-time list, and was second on the team with 74 tackles. He was used at inside linebacker early in the season.
Jenkins’s four sacks this season was just a half a sack behind Floyd’s team lead.
He had a relatively quiet Senior Bowl last month in Mobile, Ala., but has a chance to raise his stock as well this week for the April 28-30 draft.
“Jenkins, I have right now a third or fourth-round grade on,” Kiper said. “He doesn’t have nearly the explosive qualities of Floyd, but he is a more physical player, a more multi-dimensional player. But, he doesn’t give you the upside that Floyd does.”
Rang says besides quarterbacks, pass rushers are “king” in the NFL now and this draft is strong at outside linebacker.
Few, however, have Floyd’s pass-rushing experience, which has him “in the thick of the first round conversation. However, given that Floyd's production decreased each year at Georgia, he certainly could help himself with an impressive week at the combine.”
...READ MORE HERE...
