Watching Sam's success so far, not just in Rams camp but also at Mizzou kinda has me thinking. When people evaluate DEs, they tend to look at speed and bench press. Combine stuff. Well, for Sam, his 40 was not that fast @ 4.91, his reps were not that strong @ 17, his size made him look more like a LB than a DE. Nothing jumps out at you physically in his measurables, which I imagine is at least one reason why his stock dropped (I'm not getting into the other reason).
BUT... the one thing they said which was exceptional about Sam athletically was that he could squat a house. Not a combine event mind you, so it's hard to say how he compares. But it makes you think that the strength and agility he has in his lower body is the key to his success. He has burst off the line. He has lean in his rush and seems really hard to move off his line once he gets his shoulder into you. He bends at the hip. He extends on his tackles. He is tenacious. Football IQ and intangible stuff.
I mean, the kid was SEC DPOY, for Pete's sake! That doesn't happen by accident. 11.5 sacks, 19 TFLs, 2 FFs, 2 PDs in the SEC (as a senior) doesn't happen by accident. And you know he'll be coming into the NFL with a chip on his shoulder. Did the Rams get a steal?
Since you asked
- Aaron Donald had 11 sacks, 28.5 TFLs, 3 PDs, 4 FFs in the ACC as a senior
- Jad Clowney had 13 sacks, 23.5 TFLs, 2 PDs, 3 FFs his best year in college