Posted by Steve Muench
Notre Dame's offense will get a boost this week with the return of WR
Michael Floyd from injury. Fellow WR
Golden Tate might see his production drop with Floyd back in the lineup this week against Navy, but Tate's draft stock has risen in Floyd's absence.
Many scouts wondered whether the somewhat undersized Tate (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) would be able to handle added attention from defenses with Floyd out of the lineup, but Tate continued to produce, showing the quickness to get open underneath and the speed and ball skills to make plays downfield.
In addition, he did a good job splitting bracket coverages. Tate displayed the ability to use his speed to get between the cornerback and safety and the strong hands to hold on to the ball in traffic. So even if his production drops a bit with Floyd's return, Tate has already moved solidly into the second round.
For a look at what Floyd's return means for QB Jimmy Clausen, a Syracuse DT who could be in for a big day, the emergence of an ACC quarterback and which Big 12 offensive tackle will be under the gun this week, become an ESPN Insider. 
