Michael Sam’s NFL Draft Prospects
BY CHARLIE THAU
On February 9th, Michael Sam historically revealed that he is gay, making him the first openly gay NFL draft prospect. His announcement, just weeks before the scouting combine, was unquestionably courageous and surely inspirational to many LGBT community members and supporters across the country. In the following days, many speculated that Sam’s sexuality would affect his draft stock, with a minority of “inside sources” questioning whether the NFL, the ultimate macho haven, is ready for the “distraction” of an openly gay player. Eschewing the hypocritical few who view a man’s sexual orientation is a bigger distraction than sexual assault, the vast majority of the football world now seems to solely care about whether Michael Sam can help their team win. With that said, is Sam a viable NFL prospect from a pure football perspective? The answers seem to be mixed.
As a defensive end for Missouri, Sam became the SEC Defensive Player of the Year as well as a first team All-American. He led the Tigers to a twelve win season and a Cotton Bowl victory, while recording 10.5 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss during his senior campaign. These accolades are impressive to say the least, particularly since being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year allows one to say that he is the best defensive player in the best football conference in America. Having said that, college success does not necessarily translate to the NFL. One need look no further than former SEC star and Heisman trophy winning quarterback, Tim Tebow, to demonstrate this fact.
Sam’s biggest detriment coming into the draft is that he is a man without a position to play in the NFL. Almost all football teams construct their defenses around two very general “base” concepts, the 4-3 and the 3-4. The first number, i.e. the “4” in “4-3,” refers to the number of defensive lineman, while the second number, i.e. the “3” in “4-3” refers to the number of linebackers. The two base concepts are not mutually exclusive, yet most teams choose to center their defenses around one or the other. Sam was a defensive end in a 4-3 system at Missouri, which relies on an aggressive defensive line to attack the quarterback. He was extraordinarily successful in this system because he was very quick to get to the quarterback off the snap, and able to get around many college offensive linemen using his speed. However, many scouts believe that he lacks the flexibility, strength, and ability to change directions that will allow him to have similar success against bigger, more athletic offensive linemen at the next level.
Further, at 6-foot-2 and 261 pounds, Sam is actually small for a professional defensive end, a stigma that wasn’t helped by his seventeen reps on the bench press at the combine, second lowest among defensive ends. This is practically disqualifying if he wanted to transition to lineman in a 3-4 defensive system, in which defensive ends are usually much larger in order to stop the run. If a 3-4 based team were to draft him, Sam would be converted to outside linebacker. Unfortunately, many teams view him as too un-athletic to convert to linebacker, which was somewhat confirmed at the combine when he ran a lackluster 4.91 40-yard dash.
Fortunately for Sam, he was extremely impressive in the “intangibles” portion of the combine. He handled the media with grace and aplomb, despite being swarmed by every member of print, television, and online news covering the event. It’s clear he is personable and a natural born leader, traits that NFL executives value more than most people think during the scouting process. Sam played a full season for an SEC powerhouse after coming out to his teammates in August, and every single player respected his privacy. That should say everything that needs to be said and more regarding whether an NFL team is able to accept an openly gay player. As teammate L’Damian Washington told cbssports.com, “If a 17-year-old freshman can accept the fact that a teammate has a different [sexual] preference, why can’t a 33-year-old [veteran] accept that fact?”
Ultimately, Michael Sam will most likely be drafted somewhere in the 3rd-5th rounds. The NFL—as the cliché goes—is a passing league, and players who are adept at rushing the passer will always have a place in the pro game. As of last year, sixteen NFL teams ran a 4-3 based defense, and all 32 have a place for somebody who can disrupt the offense. It’s 2014, and as Jason Collins has proven in the NBA, ability will always remain the paramount criterion when judging an athlete. Consequently, I truly believe that wherever Sam is drafted will be a reflection of his football ability and not his sexual orientation.