The Chicago Bears made the Leonard Floyd draft pick back in 2016. It came with a bit of a surprise when they traded up from #11 overall to #9 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They took the linebacker out of Georgia despite some concerns from experts. Chief among them were his somewhat thin frame and the lacking production in sacks.
To be fair, they weren’t exactly wrong. Floyd only has 15.5 sacks in three seasons as a Bears. During that time he’s battled a number of different injuries. However, one can unequivocally say this. GM Ryan Pace made a wise decision moving up to get him. This based on what’s happening to other 1st rounders who went directly after him.
Apple was considered one of the best athletes at cornerback in the 2016 class but there were concerns about his characters. When the Bears jumped the Giants for Floyd, it seems like former GM Jerry Reese panicked and took Apple instead of trying to trade back. It proved to be a disaster.
Leonard Floyd draft pick far exceeds that of Apple and others
Apple had a decent rookie season but it didn’t take longs for things to steer south. He battled health setbacks and soon clashed with the coaching staff at that time. A situation that landed him in the doghouse and eventually saw him traded after Reese was replaced by Dave Gettleman. He had one interception in his Giants career.
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It wasn’t just him though. Vernon Hargreaves, who was taken with the 11th pick the Bears gave to Tampa Bay has proven a disappointment as well. In fact, one can argue that none of the seven picks made after Floyd was better than he’s been and at least four of them haven’t been as productive.
So all things considered, while no one can say Floyd is a home run pick. He’s far from the worst that 1st round produced. Given how well he finished last season with four sacks and eight QB hits over the final six games, it gives one hope that the light is finally starting to switch on.
