Rankings:
Nawrocki: #30 outside linebacker. Grade: 5.09, late round-free agent pick with a fair chance of making a roster.
DraftCountdown.com: #181 player overall, #19 defensive end. Late round-free agent grade.
Scouts Inc.: #224 player overall, #20 defensive end. Grade: 43, borderline draft prospect.
Biography/Honors:
2013: Unanimous first-team all-American. SEC Defensive Player of the Year. First-team all-SEC. 48 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two passes batted down and two forced fumbles.
2012: Started 9 of 12 games. 22 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 4 QB pressures, two forced fumbles. Returned a fumble for a TD.
2011: Played all 13 games, starting one. 29 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass batted down and an INT.
2010: Second-team Freshman all-American. Played all 13 games, starting one. 24 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an INT and a forced fumble. Also blocked a punt and scored a safety off one of his sacks. His first career INT would have been a pick-six except for a penalty on the return.
2009: Redshirted.
Academics: Majored in parks, recreation and tourism.
Off-field:
First openly gay player drafted by an NFL team.
Injuries:
None
Twitter handle: @MikeSamFootball
NFL Combine Stats:
(2014 Combine averages for defensive ends in parentheses)
40-yard dash: 4.91 (4.83)
10-yard split: 1.72 (about .1 slower than the typical average)
Vertical jump: 25.5" (33" – Sam had worst jump by a DE)
Broad jump: 9'6" (9'8")
3-cone drill: 7.80 (7.33 – Sam had worst time by a DE)
Bench presses: 17 (22 – Sam tied for 2nd-worst by a DE)
Scouting Report:
Compact, well-developed frame. Good arm length and strong upper body. Very durable, with outstanding weight-room strength. Good strength at point of attack. Keeps his legs driving and uses his natural leverage well. Applies a lot of his powerlifting background to his game. Good first step. Has some initial explosiveness. Anticipates the snap. Very productive getting upfield. Aggressive on the edge, with quick, active hands. Tough to get a lock on him. Has low center of gravity and good dip off the edge. Has a good bull-rush and effective rip and club moves. Surprisingly effective run defender for his size. Uses quickness to slip gaps and make plays in the backfield. Has power and knee-bend to force a pile-up when he's run at. Good awareness and balance. Does a good job recognizing and avoiding cut blocks. Closes fast and tackles with good power and technique. Hard worker on the field and in the weight room. Plays with great effort and energy and competes every down. Makes up for shortcomings with excellent effort. Disruptive defender and relentless pass rusher who should be able to contribute as a pass rush specialist.
DE/LB tweener. Too light, too short for a 4-3 DE. Lacks the size to stand out at DE and the fluid motion needed at OLB. Lacks functional flexibility. Struggles to cut the corner and can't turn it in one fluid motion. Lacks burst and acceleration off the edge. Has to win at the snap. Just a straight-line edge rusher. Is not a quick-twitch athlete. Takes too long to re-direct. Doesn't create his own sacks. Production came against inferior opponents or because teammates flushed the QB to him. Below-average closing speed and just-average quickness. Had a poor Combine and his vertical leap was especially bad. Can't anchor or get off blocks when defending the run. Can't set the edge. Gets pushed outside and gives up too much room. Inconsistent tackler who doesn't strike with authority. Rarely dropped into coverage and won't be much use as an OLB. Doesn't have enough power to play in the Rams' base 4-3 packages. Compares to: Elvis Dumervil, for his burst and size/power ratio
Fun Facts:
Michael is only the second unanimous all-American in Mizzou history (Danny LaRose, 1960). He includes hunting and fishing among his hobbies and competed on his high school's track and powerlifting teams.
RamView:
The Rams made history by drafting Michael Sam; now it's up to him to make history and make the team. One thing I've had wrong about Sam is that he is a scheme fit for the Rams, I imagine as a RDE. He's not going to beat out Eugene Sims, who's too good on special teams to see getting cut, and he'd be a terrible OLB; QBs would just check to a throw his way any time they saw him. There's the possibility Sam is just one of those great college players who doesn't have the ability to make it in the pros. No shame in that. That's true of at least half the Heisman Trophy winners. Just as good a chance, though, that he can pull off what Gerald Rivers did last year and produce enough pass pressure in camp to convince Jeff Fisher to keep a 5th DE. His chances are as good as 50-50 of doing that, I think. Bit of a stretch for the Rams to draft another DE and not draft a WR at all, where they're far weaker, but drafting Michael Sam at this point of the draft was more than justified based on his college production. Thumbs up.
Sources: NFL Draft 2014 Preview (Nolan Nawrocki), NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), Scouts Inc., Kansas City Star, Ramview (Mike Franke)