Michael Sam: I Should've Been Drafted in First Three Rounds

Michael Sam, who became the first openly gay football player drafted on Saturday in the seventh round, believes he should have been drafted in the first three rounds. 

Sam: “From last season alone, I should’ve been in the first three rounds. SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-American.” #RamsDraft

— St. Louis Rams (@STLouisRams) May 11, 2014

Sam, a prototypical “tweener” who is not quite big enough to be on the line and not fast enough on paper to be linebacker, was projected to go in the second day (second or third rounds) until he had some less than stellar pre-draft workouts. 

Other players — like Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater who fell to the last pick in the First Round after being projected as a top-3 pick when he failed to impress scouts during his Pro-Day — also fell steeply after their combine and Pro-Day performances though they are not often indicative of how well a player will perform in the NFL. 

Based on his workouts, some scouts did not believe Sam, the SEC’s co-defensive player of the year, should have been drafted at all while others said he projected a third-day pick. Rams coach Jeff Fisher said that he believed the team got a bargain getting Sam in the seventh round and analysts believe that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will be able to utilize a pass rusher like Sam in his blitz-friendly schemes.