2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

by Cory J. Bonini on February 26, 2013 @ 15:28:29 PDT

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Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd skipped his senior season in favor of the 2013 NFL Draft. The athletic big man has generated a buzz for his stock through strong efforts during the draft season.

Soaring up the board

At defensive end in 2011, Floyd posted 46 tackles, with 6.5 going for a loss. He moved back to his natural interior spot in '12 and enjoyed another strong year: 46 tackles (13 for loss) and 6.5 sacks.

Strengths

Extremely athletic for his size (6-foot-2 5/8, 297 pounds) - 30-inch vertical, 4.92 40-yard dash
Powerful hands and upper body
Gets skinny through gaps and displays excellent lateral agility
Versatile - effective at both 4-3 line positions - stout enough to play 5-technique
Has improved each year - tremendous upside, with his best football still ahead of him
Overcame a rough upbringing - strong character guy in the locker room
Impressive short-area explosiveness
High-running motor
Appears at his best on slants to knife through the line

Weaknesses

Needs to improve flexibility and knee bend
Winds up on the ground far more than you'd like to see
Could improve as a closer when in pursuit
Vision for the ball carrier has to improve
Struggles to maintain his level of quickness off the snap throughout games

Expected draft placement

Floyd is emerging as the top defensive lineman in the draft class on many boards, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him come off the board as such.

The Oakland Raiders (No. 3) are desperately looking for this kind of interior force, so Floyd makes a lot of sense here. The Philadelphia Eagles (No. 4) could look to him as a 3-4 end, and it seems crazy to think he will slide past the Carolina Panthers (No. 14).

About Cory J. Bonini

Cory is KFFL's General Manager. In late 2002, he joined the KFFL staff as a research analyst and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1996. A member of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, as well as Fantasy Sports Writers Association, Bonini has been featured in print, on radio and on scores of websites. Bonini co-hosted Big Lead Sports on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio from 2011 to 2012.

Bonini was recognized with the 2010 Best Article in Print Award from the FSWA and was a finalist for the same award in 2011. In '11, he finished first overall in the FSWA NFL experts challenge that featured 60 of the industry's best competitors. Follow @CoryKFFL