My top overall prospect in the 2013 NFL Draft is Sharrif Floyd, the junior defensive tackle out of Florida. He is one of the youngest players in the draft, but he has been through more in his twenty years than many people experience in a lifetime. He’s overcome physical and emotional abuse at the hands of a stepfather, losing his mother to drug addiction, and school bullying because he was poor and overweight. His high-school mentor adopted him so he could continue to assist him in pursuing his NFL dream. All of these experiences have fashioned him into a mature and focused man who has the determination and drive to be a star NFL player.

Floyd was a productive player in college, ending up with 4.5 sacks, 26 tackles for a loss, one pass broken up, ten quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and three blocked kicks over his three years at Florida. While the sack number looks a bit low, three of them (and half of his tackles for a loss) came in 2012, when he played more defensive tackle after playing a lot more five-technique defensive end in his freshman and sophomore years.

Strengths

Frame: Floyd has prototypical three-tech frame, with broad, powerful shoulders and sturdy lower body punctuated by thick thighs. He’s a fairly sleek athlete for his size, and he carries his weight well, though he’s high-waisted enough that maintaining winning leverage can be a struggle.

Quickness/Agility: He has terrific getoff from the line and elite closing burst in a phone booth. While he’s big and strong enough to control two gaps, he’s also nimble enough to slide through gaps and even pressure the edge.

Versatility: Floyd lined up all over the line at Florida. In 2011, he was used primarily as a 3-4 defensive end, playing a five-tech two-gapping role. In 2012, he played a lot more as a penetrating three-tech, though he still played some five-tech and one-tech. He even played some snaps as standup rusher, where he generated some edge pressure.

Motor/Technique: He has a motor that never stops. Among defensive tackles in this class, perhaps only Sheldon Richardson out-motors him. He is perpetually disruptive, and often had more success later in games because he just wore offensive linemen out. He regularly chased ballcarriers downfield, and he has the balance and power to keep opposing linemen on their heels. His swim move is probably his best pass rush move, but he has the quickness and power to pull and toss linemen as well. His technique improved significantly throughout his college career, and he’ll likely continue to improve in the NFL

Character: His character is beyond phenomenal. All of his coaches have raved about his determination and work ethic. His life experiences have given him motivation and purpose. In highschool, he made brownies with special ed children that he sold to pay for the trip to the U.S. Army National Combine. He supported himself often in his early years as he moved from house to house. He’s the type of upstanding citizen NFL teams love to invest in.

Weaknesses

Rawness: His rawness is a positive and negative. On the positive side, his best football is ahead of him. His “improvement curve,” so to speak, foretells great things. But he’ll need to reach that potential. For now, he still can play like a great big kid who’s just trying to get to the quarterback. He struggles a lot with cut blocks, and he gets too vertical off the snap. Unlike Star Lotulelei, who gets upright and starts to lean and tire out, Floyd gets too wrapped up attacking the offensive lineman and forgets to pick up the backfield action.

Consistency: His consistency as a pass rusher was affected by both his inconsistency in the leverage battle and his movement around the line. So it’s possible that being free to focus on dominating one position would increase his effectiveness as a pass rusher, though that would also diminish the value found in his versatility.

Bottom Line

Floyd’s upside as a pass rusher is as high as any defensive tackle prospect in recent years. He has the strength, agility, and determination to be an absolute terror of an interior rusher. If he somehow ends up on a team with some pass rush talent already in place, he could make a big impact as a rookie. Given his character and potential, he shouldn’t drop out of the top five picks, and his most likely destinations are Jacksonville and Oakland. If he slips past them and ends up with Philadelphia or Detroit, look out NFL. This kid is motivated and talented, and he should have a long and productive career.