Did Michael Floyd Move Ahead of Justin Blackmon at Notre Dame's Pro Day?

The pro day season is just about over, but one first-round prospect fired a shot across the bow of others at his position while the rest of the football world was being dazzled by Nike's new uniforms.

Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd saved the best for last, running a 7.16 three-cone and 4.5 short shuttle after running a 4.47 40 at the combine. His workout was terrific according to at least two expert observers.

NFL.com's Gil Brandt called Floyd's workout "excellent" and went into some detail about what he liked:

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Floyd is very fluid and runs good routes. He’s a big target, has excellent speed and caught the ball extremely well.

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Brandt then went as far as to say Floyd should be "side-by-side" with Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon, who has been firmly ahead of Floyd in mock drafts since January. Brandt even said he would rank Floyd higher.

NFL Network analysts Charley Casserly and Charles Davis disagreed, citing Blackmon's routes, hands, run after catch ability and work ethic.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock also didn't rate Floyd ahead of Blackmon, but he also called Floyd's workout "excellent" and heaped praise on the wideout's game and attributes:

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What you get with Michael Floyd, you get a 6-foot-3, 220-pound wide receiver who gets tremendous breaks in and out. His explosion off the line of scrimmage is exceptional — I would compare it to Blackmon.

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Even though Mayock didn't say Floyd should go ahead of Blackmon, he did think there was a possibility Floyd goes in the top 10 picks:

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I think the interest should start at No. 7 with Jacksonville, Miami at 8, Carolina at 9, Buffalo at 10. Seven through ten there has to be some interest, but in no event can I see him going past the Jets at 16.

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Floyd's game might be better suited for what the Jaguars, Dolphins and Bills want, as he's more of a deep threat, big-play receiver. The Bills in particular just signed Stevie Johnson to a long-term deal, and his game is more like Blackmon's than Floyd's.

If Blackmon gets past the St. Louis Rams at No. 6, he could fall right out of the top 10—and not because no wide receivers are taken that high.