Leonard Floyd At 9th Overall?

The big topic this off-season for the Buccaneers has been finding pass rush help along with improving the secondary. With the draft less than a month away, many mock drafts have the Bucs taking fan favorite CB Vernon Hargreaves while others have the Bucs taking a edge rusher. One caught my interest today which was Charlie Campbell's mock draft on WalterFootball.com, as Campbell had the Bucs selecting Georgia  DE/OLB Leonard Floyd at 9th overall. Here is the explanation per Campbell.

In speaking with sources, the Bucs love Jalen Ramsey but he won't make it to their pick. Tampa Bay has to improve the talent in its secondary and defensive line, so here's a Plan B to address the edge rush if Ramsey is off the board.  

If the draft plays out like this, Tampa Bay could consider edge rushers like Floyd and Noah Spence. Floyd is graded higher and in the Bucs' 4-3 defense, he would play Sam (strongside) linebacker on run downs and rush the passer off the edge in passing situations. 

 Floyd totaled 74 tackles with 10.5 for a loss and 4.5 sacks in 2015. He is a speedy defender who is just scratching the surface of his potential. Floyd is a natural pass-rusher with agility and a knack for getting to the quarterback. His ability to bend around the corner is extremely rare. 

Campbell makes valid points here, as Floyd could play the SAM linebacker position on run downs and then could be used as a pass rush specialist on passing situations. I have mention before that Floyd could be a potential trade down option, if the Bucs feel there are none worthy of a top ten selection. Floyd has massive potential, but needs to add weight if he wants to be every down defensive end, has the athleticism and length to be a great fit in a 3-4 scheme. Floyd would benefit from working with defensive line coach Jay Hayes, who has made tall, lengthy type players like Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson pro bowlers, so he could do the same for Floyd. Only 28 days away til the draft, its going to be interesting.

The Strength of This Draft Is on Defense

The NFL scouting combine has concluded and after thinking about what I have seen the past few days I'm pretty excited to see what the Bucs do in this upcoming draft. The word from scouts and general managers were that this draft was heavy on the defensive side of the ball, and I would say the combine definitely proved that to be true.  Former scout Daniel Jeremiah agrees that its a good year to draft defense.

This draft class is very lopsided in favor of the defense.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) February 28, 2016

Watching yesterday and today, it just seemed like big name after big name was showing up, and it was really exciting to watch. Potential targets for the Bucs really showed up as Noah Spence, Shaq Lawson, Leonard Floyd, and Vernon Hargreaves all had strong showings. I thought Lawson and Floyd really helped their draft stock and cemented their first round status. They were both more fluid and athletic than I thought they were going to be as both ran really good 40's with 4.7 and 4.6 respectively. Both would be targets for the Bucs if they decide trading down is the best option.

With that being said I still feel its going to be Noah Spence at 9, he is the best edge rusher in this draft and the depth at defensive end is just not as strong like it is at defensive tackle. Spence could be that special edge guy the Bucs have been looking for the past decade. Spence has the quickness and just understands how to pass rush. All I know is Jason Licht and his crew have to be pretty excited about this defensive draft class, and it should help the teams woes on that side of the ball. The Bucs have multiple options for their first pick and should get a really good player on that side of the ball. Here is video per nflbreakdown.com showing Spence's quickness of the edge.

Leonard Floyd Possible Target For the Bucs?

I have mention before that trading down could be a real option for the Bucs, and one player could really make sense if that is the case. That would be Georgia hybrid defender Leonard Floyd, who is a tweener type, provides great athleticism and has a non stop motor. According to Charlie Campbell of Walterfootball.com, the Bucs have shown interest in the former Georgia standout.

"I know there's some interest there" with Leonard Floyd and the Buccaneers.

The main issue with Floyd is his size as he stands at 6'4 but only weighs 231lbs which limits him as a run defender and in the NFL would start off as a sub package player. Floyd has massive potential as a pass rusher but to become a more functional player, he needs to live in a cafeteria and weight room to put on more size and strength. If Floyd can do that, he could be one hell of a player, the guy has sideline to sideline speed, and already has some go to pass rush moves. Right now Floyd is projected to be a late first round pick, so I think if the Bucs could trade with a team like the Texans who are need of Qb, that could be a possibility if the Bucs really like Floyd as a player. Here is Mike Mayock's take on Floyd as a player, per macon.com:

"Leonard Floyd is a polarizing figure from Georgia," Mayock said. "Some people think he's a top-10 pick, some of them think he's going to be (Cleveland Browns linebacker) Barkevious Mingo, meaning a great-looking, fast but underpowered player who ultimately won't live up to what he should."

If the Bucs could trade down and pick up multiple picks in this deep defensive draft while getting an athletic freak in Floyd, then I'm all for it. This is a big week for Floyd, he needs to show his elite athleticism if he wants to go first round.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-georgia/bulldogs-beat/article62179852.html#storylink=cpy