He is now up to 227 pounds, which is a long way away from the 200-pound mark he came in at as a freshman — and it shows. Floyd is not generating nearly the same type of separation for himself out of his breaks, especially in the three-step game, as he did last season, isn’t as shifty off the line vs. press coverage and looks more like a bulked-up possession type guy than a game-breaking No. 1 type that he seemed to be last year. Burton was routinely able to get into his frame, re-route him off the football and made it tough for him to separate on all levels of the field. Even on Floyd’s touchdown catch he was jacked off the line and it took a special effort from him to adjust and make a tough snag out of his break.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved Floyd coming into the season — even thinking he might be the best WR prospect in the nation — but this additional weight has made him a tighter, less effective player which will cause him to fall some on draft day."
SCOUT'S TAKE
Entering his junior season Floyd stands out as one of the elite prospects in the 2011 NFL Draft in terms of upside, making him a possible top-10 pick if he declares following the 2010 campaign. His combination of football instincts, pro-style offense experience, a limitless route tree, exceptional athleticism and incredible hands make him a unique prospect at the position. He enters the season behind fellow juniors A.J. Green and Junior Jones, but that does not mean the Notre Dame product can’t emerge as the top wide receiver prospect in next year’s draft. Floyd has the potential to quickly become an elite number one receiver in the NFL and a quarterback’s best friend for a decade. More important than putting up gaudy numbers in Brian Kelly’s pass-happy offense, Floyd needs to prove to the scouting community that his previous injuries were fluky and not a forewarning of an injury-plagued career."
Negatives: Had some leg issues during his freshman season... Missed time in 2009 due to a broken collarbone... Has had some fumbling issues in the past, carries the ball too far away from his body after he catches it... Not very explosive, is more of a slow-twitch athlete... May carry too much weight for his frame, lacks some flexibility and big play ability... Will be more of a possession receiver at the next level, had only two receptions in 2010 that went for over 35 yards."
Tate is gone in 2010 and this is Floyd's team now. Not having Jimmy Clausen around to throw the ball has dampened Floyd's junior campaign, but he is the team's leading receiver through eight games with 44 catches for 624 yards and six scores. At the same point last year, Floyd was making a lot more out of those catches, but that is not entirely his fault. For the third straight season, Floyd has missed some time with an injury. This time it was a hamstring issue. Floyd has toughed it out and is having some good games, but the offense disappears against better opponents.
With fellow receiver Theo Riddick nursing an ankle injury and tight end Kyle Rudolph out for the year, Floyd will get a ton of opportunities to make plays. Nobody else on Notre Dame is going to do it. Floyd's stock is slowly going down as injury concerns mount and Notre Dame inches their way to another .500 record. However, Floyd is a great all-around receiver and it is hard to see him dropping out of the first round."
One of the greatest knocks is that he lacks elite, top-end speed, and too many catches are contested because of his inability to separate with speed or quickness. He does, however, have the toughness and field awareness to be effective inside in the short-and-intermediate passing game. And he tracks the deep ball very well, will climb the ladder to get it and really competes for the ball in the air."
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