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The idea that the New York Giants could select Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd at No. 10 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft is gaining steam. Still, Floyd is a player who divides the scouting community -- more potential than production, and an uncertain fit as anything other than a standard 3-4 outside linebacker.
Count NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock among the confused. Here is what Mayock had to say about Floyd during his recent pre-draft conference call.
"You know what, Leonard Floyd is one of my most conflicted players. There's a big part of me that wants to say he's a top-10 talent, and there's another part of me that when I look back at my notes, and I've done at least six of his games, and all over the place I have the word "underpowered." Not just at the point of attack, but when he gets stuck in the pass game, also, rushing the quarterback. If he doesn't win with speed -- and I'm talking about both outside speed, and he's got a great up-and-under move. If he doesn't win with speed, he gets stuck. That worries me.
"However, he showed up at the combine bigger and heavier than all of us expected, and when you watch him play, they've got him at off the line, linebacker, off the edge, they've got him covering slots. His athletic ability is amazing, and his burst off the edge is rare. So at the end of the day, in a pass-first league, teams are going to lean towards what he can do as opposed to what he can't do, and what he can do is get off the line, come off the edge, and for a 4-3 team, I think he's a linebacker on first down off the line of scrimmage, and when you go to your sub-package, which again is 60 to 70 percent of your snaps, he's going to be a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end.
"I think the 3-4 teams look at him as a 3-4 outside linebacker simply, but at the end of the day, could he be a top-10 pick? I think he could surprise people and fit in the top 10 somewhere, yes."
Floyd is currently the choice in seven of the 45 drafts in our up-to-date mock draft database. That's 15.5 percent.