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Buffalo Bills: 2016 Draft Linebacker Options Part II

By Dennis Moody

May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Sammy Watkins (Clemson) shakes hands with Roger Goodell after being selected as the number four overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Buffalo Bills at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Sammy Watkins (Clemson) shakes hands with Roger Goodell after being selected as the number four overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Buffalo Bills at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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2016 Draft Linebacker
Oct 17, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Leonard Floyd (84) chases Missouri Tigers quarterback Drew Lock (3) during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Missouri 9-6. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Leonard Floyd, Georgia

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 232 lbs

Projected Round: 1 or 2

Georgia linebacker Leonard Floyd projects as an outside pass rushing linebacker in the NFL. He lacks the necessary bulk to play inside linebacker in the pros. He played in a 3-4 base defense for the Georgia Bulldogs in college.

Floyd has a lanky frame with good power in his hands. Despite his lack of bulk, he is surprisingly powerful and explosive.  Some consider him to be the best edge rusher available in the draft this year and part of the reason for that is due to his non-stop motor.

In 2014, he suffered a shoulder injury but played through it during the season until finally addressing the issue in December of that year when according to ESPN.com he had surgery to “clean it up” to get him ready for the following season. His stats in 2015 were just fine so there is no reason to suggest this injury will set him back in the future.

According to WalterFootball.com, Floyd had 74 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 3 deflections his last year in college. Their site also points out that his stats are a bit misleading because his effort on many plays lead to other teammates getting tackles, tackles for loss, or sacks so Floyd did not receive any of the credit despite contributing on these plays.

He is not very strong against the run and that has to do with his lack of ideal size. That is part of the reason why he is better suited to play on the outside than the inside in the NFL. If Floyd can bulk up without losing his speed or athletic ability he has the potential to be a star in the NFL as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 system.

Next: Deion Jones

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