Leonard Floyd: Should the Indianapolis Colts Draft Him 18th Overall?

The Indianapolis Colts struggled to pressure the quarterback on a consistent basis in 2015. It is safe to say finding an explosive pass rusher this offseason is one of their top priorities.

However, the Colts have been relatively silent during this offseason and appear to be focused on making their key acquisitions in the upcoming draft. Due to the Colts’ need for a pass rusher, many people are speculating that outside linebacker Leonard Floyd would be an obvious selection for the Colts, who have the 18th pick overall.

Leonard Floyd is definitely an intriguing physical prospect. He stands at 6’6” tall and has an arm length of over 33 inches. He also possesses great quickness and explosiveness, which makes his physical gifts even more effective. At the scouting combine, Floyd ran a 4.60 40-yard dash, which was the fifth-fastest time among all linebackers, and posted 39.5-inch vertical leap, which was second-best in his position group.

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With this sort of pure athleticism, it is obvious why many scouts are very high on him. However, scouts are also struggling to make a consensus projection on him. Mocks drafts have Leonard Floyd being selected as early as No. 10 by the New York Giants while other have him falling to teams like the Arizona Cardinals at No. 29. Some scouts like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. believe Floyd underachieved at the University of Georgia.

“In terms of Floyd, I think I kept expecting more than I got this year,” Kiper said. “He flashes. You don’t see the dominant play that says, ‘Boy, I’m a top 10-to-15 pick.'”

As three-year starter with the Bulldogs, Floyd accumulated 17.0 career sacks. His season sack totals decreased every season from 6.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman to 6.0 as a redshirt sophomore to only 4.5 sacks as a redshirt junior. Also, scouts were perplexed at why Floyd sometimes lined up as an inside linebacker in the Bulldogs’ defensive scheme. For this reason, many scouts struggle to properly predict what team might be the best fit for Floyd.

Despite the questions about Floyd, the Colts’ seem interested in him. They have already met with the 23-year-old prospect.

Seeing as how the Colts met with Leonard Floyd in late March, it seems pretty clear Floyd is on their draft board, which he should be. Floyd would add some youth and explosiveness to an aging outside linebacker group. The only experienced outside linebackers on the Colts’ roster are Robert Mathis, Trent Cole and Erik Walden, who are all 30-years-old or older. Floyd certainly has the potential to flourish as an outside linebacker in the Colts’ 3-4 scheme, but he may only be a situational player as a rookie. Is a situational player with unproven potential worth using the 18th overall pick on?

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The Colts are in a predicament if Leonard Floyd is still available when they are on the clock. His raw talent and physical gifts show he has superstar potential, but like Mel Kiper Jr. says, there is something concerning about an underperforming player who has all the tools to be successful. Despite his concerns, Floyd is worth taking with the 18th overall pick because he fills an immediate need for the Colts.