Film Study: Scouts should be drooling over UGA's Leonard Floyd

With over half the NFL operating from an odd-front defensive alignment, a premium is being placed on edge-players who have the ability to play a myriad of roles: hired gun with the ability to play in the opposition’s backfield, edge-setter in the run game and  a defender of tight ends and slot receivers from man or zone concepts.

Front offices expect one player to be versed in all these various roles when it used to be they would bring in individual players for each aspect.

It was nothing to see an “Elephant” end play base downs with a “rocket-rusher” getting the sub in nickel. Nowadays, with the advent of hurry-up, no-huddle offenses, defenses don’t have time to rotate according to offensive deployment.

The ideal player would be anywhere from 6’3″- 6’5″, 230-250 pounds with arms like vines and the agility of a gazelle. (The animal, not the 1987 exercise equipment apparatus.) Players like Von Miller (Denver Broncos) and Aldon Smith (San Francisco 49ers) have set the NFL ablaze with their ability to play from a two-point stance, while others like Dante Fowler, Vic Beasley, Bud Dupree and Randy Gregory have DC’s salivating as each look to have enough scheme versatility to be the next up to bat.

As it pertains to the University of Georgia, edge-player Leonard Floyd has the unique possibility of being the hottest prospect out on the edges that has put the prerequisite stuff on tape the NFL looks for in conversion prospects as he has played his entire collegiate career as an outside-linebacker in a 3-4-based defense.

And I’m here to tell you: This kid is special.

Pass-Rush Arsenal

Let’s be honest; the premium is truly paid to players who have the ability to get the QB on the ground. In this day and age of unique modified-pressure schemes, DC’s have more ways than ever to make sure a QB is affected with post-snap confusion.

In an odd-front alignment, the pressure can literally come from anywhere. Twists, stunts, overload and zone blitzes means a player has to have a lot more football intelligence, better known as F.B.I., than in previous eras.

Between Floyd’s work with former DC Todd Grantham, who specialized in coaching the defensive line and outside linebackers, and current DC Jeremy Pruitt, Floyd is as polished a player as you’ll see at this level of a career.

The 6’4″, 230-pound Floyd actually reminds me of a player Grantham once coached in the NFL, former Dallas Cowboys’ star DeMarcus Ware — who’s ironically dominating in the Mile High City for the Broncos, as well.

Grantham taught both how to use their length to the best of their ability and convert speed to power, as both aren’t the biggest of edge-players but play a lot stouter than their respective frames. (Ware was 6’4″ 250 lbs when he was drafted in 2005.)

The first thing you notice about Floyd is just how quick of a first step he has off the snap.

Just look at how he ran the arc on this strip sack against the University of Missouri. Not only does Floyd eat up cushion quick, fast and in a hurry, he has a unique ability to contort his body much like former Atlanta Falcons’ edge-rusher John Abraham.

In what is undoubtedly both an indictment of not only Floyd’s explosiveness and agility, but also Vanderbilt University’s ineptitude, Floyd cremated its QB after encountering solo blocking from what appears to be Emmanuel Lewis from that old TV show Webster.

You’d imagine that most edge-rushers would’ve gone through Webster to get to the QB, but Floyd had enough explosive agility to catch him with a stutter-step and simply go around him.

You can’t coach this type of athleticism, people.

This was one of my favorite sacks from Floyd as it showed off his ability to stack moves. Going against a very good player in former Arkansas tackle Brey Cook, Floyd pursued the bottom of his rush with the same ferocity one might associate with a bull rush.

From there, he exploded so hard to the inside that it took Cook a couple of seconds to realize Floyd was already en route to causing a fumble with a ferocious chase-down sack.

When you can chain together moves you make yourself that much more difficult to defend.

But don’t get it twisted; Floyd also possesses the necessary strength to execute power moves at a high clip — as seen in the sequence above.

He’s really keen on hand placement and his vine-like arms allow him to get some serious extension that converts itself into power; he has great leg drive.

He also possesses a dip-and-rip move that will be tough for anyone to deal with even at the next level. He’s simply an extremely polished edge-player with a vast array of pass-rush moves mostly centered around his unique combination of length and explosiveness.

But there’s more.

Total Package

Georgia does a great job of making complete players out of their edge-rushers by making sure they have a presence in both the run and pass game.

The most notable edge-player since they initially switched from a 4-3-based scheme is current Pittsburgh Steelers’ OLB Jarvis Jones. While Jones had more explosive sack numbers – an astounding 28.5 in just two seasons in Athens compared to the 12.5 Floyd has generated in the same time span — I feel as though Floyd is a more complete player.

Floyd is an excellent tackler in space who is able to break down and use proper form to get running backs on the ground. His agility and length works in his favor, as well, as he’s great in back-side pursuit from the weak side.

But he’s also savvy enough to set the edge and navigate the run game from the play side.

Case in point: Check out how Floyd washed down the “Y” and somewhat maintained contain – on an outside toss — by not relinquishing outside leverage to the ball-carrier. He then proceeded to corral him with those gangly arms further sending a message that you should avoid him at all costs.

Additionally, Floyd is adept at zone drops and is even deployed in man coverage against tight ends. While he’s not especially effective in those latter areas, most due to inexperience, he’s shown that he has the tools to be just that as he gains more seasoning.

Floyd is exactly what the NFL is looking for in an OLB in a “34.” But I wholeheartedly believe he has the type of scheme versatility that could see him man the edge as a 6- or 7-technique in an even-front alignment.

But to show you how talented the Georgia defense is, he may not end up being the best player at that particular position as rising sophomore Lorenzo Carter, and his 6’6″, 237-pound frame, looks like every bit his equal.

That has to be frightening for any offense on the ‘Dawg’s schedule.