This is a very deep draft for wide receivers. Most people have Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon rated as the top prospect but for my money Michael Floyd is not only the best receiver, he’s one of the top overall players in this draft.
Floyd is the best receiver in this class at driving into a defender and changing direction. I listen to what NFL people tell me and besides the obvious like catching the ball and having NFL speed, the one thing scouts look for is the ability to disguise routes. Floyd is already very good in that area.
Floyd has really long arms and that helps him both go up and get the ball and push defenders off in traffic. I’m not saying Floyd is Larry Fitzgerald but he’s similar in the way he goes up and gets the ball at its highest point. Floyd is going to be a huge asset in the red zone for any team that drafts him. He has tremendous body control to go along with the ability to fight for the football. Floyd has the best hands of any receiver in this draft. In all the plays I watched of him on tape I saw Floyd drop one very catchable pass, by far the best of all the receivers I broke down.
Floyd ran well at the Combine but I never had a problem with his speed anyway. He’s a very fluid receiver and Floyd doesn’t lose speed or quickness when he changes direction. Like I said, he does a very good job of disguising his routes and getting in and out of breaks.
Floyd has had some off-the-field issues. I don’t comment on that stuff because I’m not qualified to. I don’t get to talk to these guys and get inside their heads, so that’s something NFL teams need to asses, not me. However, most teams believe those issues are behind Floyd, so it shouldn’t hurt him come draft day.
Floyd is actually one of my top rated players in this draft at any position, so there isn’t much about him that I don’t love. If I had to pick one thing it would be Floyd seemed a little disinterested at times. Again, this is something NFL teams are better suited to asses but in games where Floyd wasn’t targeted much it looked to me like he took some plays off. Other than that, I don’t see any holes in Floyd’s game. Physically, he’s pretty close to flawless and I don’t say that about players very often.
Like I said, most people have Blackmon as their top rated receiver and while I like Blackmon, I love Floyd. I view Floyd as a can’t-miss receiver prospect. I have him rated as a Top 10 pick and one of the best players in the 2012 draft.
Fantasy Impact: If Floyd goes to a team with a capable quarterback, he will easily be my top rated rookie heading into fantasy drafts. He may not be as fast but I believe Floyd is just as good a prospect as Julio Jones last year and a shade below A.J. Green. I think this guy is a superstar in the making.
