The St. Louis Rams drafted Missouri defensive end Michael Sam with the No. 249 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Sam came in at No. 133 on SB Nation's top 200 big board, which made him 13th among players at his position.
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Following the conclusion of his college football career, Sam publicly came out as gay. His selection makes him the first active openly gay NFL player. While in college, Sam's teammates at Missouri knew about this and were supportive, but it sounds like Sam always intended to come out prior to entering the NFL.
Sam was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, a First-Team All-SEC selection and a Consensus All-American in 2013. He's a playmaker at the defensive end position, with his best season coming in 2013, with 48 total tackles, 19.0 for loss and 11.5 sacks. He finished his college career with 111 tackles, 32.5 for loss, and 18.5 sacks.
Whatever the case, Sam is being drafted for what he brings on the football field. By all accounts, he's a solid defensive end prospect with strong burst to pressure the quarterback.
Scouting Report
Combine results
Height: 6'2
Weight: 261
40-yard dash: 4.91
Bench press: 17
Vertical jump: 25 1/2
Broad jump: 9'6
20-yard shuttle: 4.70
3-cone drill: 7.80
Unfortunately, Sam's combine performance wasn't all that impressive. His 40-yard dash time was unremarkable for a pass rusher, and it didn't help that he whiffed on multiple attempts before finally getting it right. Some have questioned whether or not Sam can be a pass rusher in the NFL, or if he'd be better suited as a run-stuffing defensive end. He could certainly excel in the latter role, which might be the best fit for him at this point. Sam probably can't consistently beat NFL tackles to get to opposing quarterbacks.
