Arizona Cardinals: WR Michael Floyd Among NFL’s Most Underrated

By Dan Schmelzer | Jun 4, 2015

Led by the stable veteran Larry Fitzgerald, the exciting young gun John Brown and former first round pick Michael Floyd, the Arizona Cardinals have a nice crop of players at the wide receiver position. Quarterback Carson Palmer is very lucky to have such a talented stable of receivers to throw the ball to.

Dec 21, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receivers Michael Floyd (15) and Larry Fitzgerald (11) and John Brown (12) line up against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Seahawks won 35-6. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

While the Cardinals are stocked with talent at the position, it appears that at least one of these players is flying under the radar. Each off season, Elliot Harrison of NFL.com picks an NFL All-Underrated Team. He chooses a player for each starting position (11 on both offense and defense, one kicker, one punter and one return specialist) who he thinks is the most underrated the spot.

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This year, Harrison chose the Cardinals’ Floyd as one of the receivers on his team. He was paired with DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans as the two most underrated receivers currently in the NFL. Here is what Harrison had to say about his selection of Floyd:

"Like Hopkins, Floyd had myriad mediocre quarterbacks … a mediocrity melee … a morass of mediocrity … throwing him passes last season in Arizona. After Carson Palmer was hurt, Floyd was left to work with Drew Stanton and Ryan Lindley — and yet, Floyd succeeded. Larry Fitzgerald still gets the headlines in the desert, but Floyd is the Cardinals’ WR1. Also, unlike many wideouts, he can block."

I think many would disagree with Harrison’s assessment of Floyd as the Cardinals’ WR1. It probably has much more to do with longevity than current skill, but Fitzgerald is probably still considered the Cardinals’ number one receiver. Floyd’s inclusion on the All-Underrated list however, is very accurate in my eyes.

Floyd was a first round selection (13th overall) by the Cardinals back in 2012. He did not see too much playing time as a rookie, but Floyd did impress in spots on his way to a 45-reception, 562-yard and two touchdown first NFL season. He burst onto the scene in 2013 with an impressive 65 receptions for 1,041 yards and five touchdowns, before coming back to earth a little bit last season with 47 receptions for 841 yards and six touchdowns.

Floyd is a very talented receiver who can do many things on the field. He is a big (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and strong player with nice athleticism who can consistently win in jump-ball situations. Floyd also shows nice speed, good route running ability and strong hands.

He has a nice combination of skills that allow for him to succeed in the short, intermediate and deep passing game. That is a very rare skill for a receiver.

His upside as a receiver is massive, and I think Harrison is probably right when he suggests that Floyd has been held back by mediocre quarterback play. Health has always been a concern for Palmer, but if he stays healthy this season, I expect Floyd’s production to sky-rocket.

At 25-years-old, the Cardinals could still have an emerging star on their hands in Floyd. His production on the field has been spotty, but there is no denying Floyd’s raw skills and abilities.

Floyd is about to enter his fourth year in the league, so a major step forward can certainly still be expected. He could easily just be a player who has taken a bit more time than usual to acclimate to the NFL game, and the inconsistent quarterback play could not have helped.

I believe that Floyd is on the cusp of a breakout season, and plenty of league-wide fans will be surprised by his elite skills and talent at the position.

Next: Five Cardinals' Players Primed to Breakout in 2015

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