Making the Case for Leonard Floyd as New York Giants' 1st-Round Pick

If there was ever a statement that rang true as far as the New York Giants are concerned, it’s that a team can never have too many pass-rushers.

The Giants found that out the hard way last year when, other than Robert Ayers Jr. (now with Tampa Bay), the pass rush produced by the quartet of Jason Pierre-Paul, Damontre Moore, Owa Odighizuwa and outside linebacker Devon Kennard combined for 4.0 sacks.

To be fair, there were circumstances behind the rather pathetic numbers. Odighizuwa missed most of his rookie season with various injuries.

Moore, the team’s third-round pick in 2013, was cut during the season after what Peter Botte and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reported was a fight with then teammate Cullen Jenkins over a set of Beats by Dre headphones.

Pierre-Paul suffered permanent damage to his right hand that necessitated him wearing a club and Kennard missed seven games, including the last five of the season with hamstring and foot ailments.

So, yes, at least in the case of the NFL’s worst-ranked defense last year, they really can’t have too many pass-rushers, which leads to the pros and cons of today’s featured draft prospect.

Daniel Shirey/Getty Images

The Pick: OLB Leonard Floyd, 6'6", 244 lbs., Georgia 

Pros

The more a player can do, the more creative his coordinator can get.

Such can be the case with Floyd. Per Pro Football Focus, he spent "61 percent of snaps lined up on the edge, 29 percent as an off-ball linebacker" and "10 percent lined up over the slot."

That breakdown aligns with what an NFL scout told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post about Floyd’s unique skill allowing him to be used in a variety of different ways:

"

He’s a very unique guy. They play him everywhere. You see him from play-to-play, game-to-game, series-to-series, he’ll be out in a wide nine in a three-point stance rushing the passer, and the next play he’s out covering the slot receiver man-to-man 15 yards down the field, then he’s the middle linebacker, then he’s the SAM, then he’s a walk-away WILL. So they’ve used him everywhere, and you see a unique skill set that very few guys have. What wouldn’t be attractive?

"

Among Floyd’s "bread-and-butter" qualities is his quick first step, which can catch offensive tackles by surprise (and which can create some holding penalties called against offensive tackles that try to block him).

He also has a long stride, which helps him in keeping up with ball-carriers and receivers—he played some snaps in the slot, holding his own in coverage.

While there have been some questions about his productivity, per Pro Football Focus, Floyd’s pass-rush productivity score of 17.7 percent is the second best of 3-4 outside linebackers who are draft eligible.   

Cons

Although Floyd has the ideal measurables that seem to make the Giants take notice, Floyd lacks functional strength, according to Rob Rang of CBS Sports.

This criticism reminds one of Moore, who had amazing athleticism, but whose functional strength, or lack thereof, was evident when teams ran right at him.

Moore never evolved into an every-down player, instead filling a niche role until his dismissal from the team last year.

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Would the same concerns about a lack of strength affect Floyd? Rang seems to believe that, and Floyd’s growth potential likely means that he too will have to be cast into a niche role.

When talking about the 10th overall pick, the idea is to have that player on the field for as many snaps as possible.

If Floyd does evolve into a niche player, the Giants might be better off drafting a cornerback instead. As per PFF (h/t Peter King of MMQB), the use of the nickel package has increased steadily every year since 2008, when teams deployed it 43.4 percent of the time, to 2015, when teams employed it 63.4 percent of the time.

Then there is a matter of his production. According to Pro Football Focus, the majority of Floyd’s pass-rushing production came against the “lowest graded right tackles of the SEC,” battles that Floyd won based on his athleticism.

The Bottom Line

The Giants have tried with no success to cast a player from a 3-4 defensive scheme as what general manager Jerry Reese has referred to as a “joker”—a guy who can line up in a two-point stance or with his hand in the dirt.

There was Clint Sintim, a second-round pick in 2009, whose career was derailed by injuries. 

Moore, with his quick step and athleticism was also thought to be the guy, though his continued lack of strength, combined with some character issues that ultimately led to his release last season, derailed him.

Kennard has been the latest experiment, and while he’s shown some flashes of hope, he’s had trouble staying on the field.

Brett Davis/Associated Press

Can Floyd, if he's chosen, be the exception? 

In his 2016 NFL Draft Guide, Dane Brugler noted that Floyd “is one of the best athletes in this draft class, but not one of the best football players…he’ll need [to be] protected in the NFL, likely as an off-ball linebacker and sub-package rusher.”

Brugler also said that Floyd is probably more of a second-day prospect whose “natural athleticism will likely have him over-drafted in the top 25.”

The Giants have been down this road before with drafting athletes who haven’t worked out (i.e., Adrien Robinson as an example).

With pressure on the personnel department to fix the mess the roster has become, can they really afford to gamble on another athlete who can do a number of things well, but not everything that might be part of his ultimate job description?

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.