Should Michael Sam be selected regardless of his playing ability?

[Really_Not_All_That_Bright]

I am not an SEC homer. My team plays in the AAC. I’m as sick of SEC arse-kissing as I am of NFC East talk in the NFL.

@LonghornDave

How did you show that being SEC DPOY is a reliable predictor of success at the next level? I’m pretty sure all you did was show that they generally are drafted high, not that they have great NFL success.

Sorry, I got this confused with the other Sam thread, where I discussed how the last 10 SEC DPOTYs turned out:

@Really_Not_All_That_Bright

Pollack was an instant star for the Bengals, then broke his neck at the beginning of his second year and was forced to retire. If he was still in the league he’d probably be a perennial Pro Bowler.

Ryans was defensive Rookie of the Year and made a couple of Pro Bowls, but has had injury concerns.

Willis was the best MLB in the league more or less from the moment he was drafted and is an automatic Pro Bowler every year.

Dorsey never quite lived up to the draft hype (he didn’t fit well into the Chiefs’ scheme) but has been a solid pro and started most of last season for the 49ers.

Berry is one of the league’s best cover safeties and is the backbone of the Chiefs’ defense. He made the Pro Bowl each of the last three seasons.

McClain was a bust for the Raiders and retired at the age of 23.

Peterson was an instant star and is the best player on the Cardinals’ defense.

Claiborne has been an up and down performer for the Cowboys and was benched last year (though he was playing with an injury.)

Jones was a spot starter for Pittsburgh as a rookie. Their scheme requires a lot from linebackers so we probably won’t know if he’s any good for a couple of years.

The upshot is that drafting the SEC player of the year is generally a good idea. Compare the players above to, say, the last 20 Heisman winners. Cam Newton and RGIII are the only ones since 1996 to become stars in the NFL (unless you include Reggie Bush and Tim Tebow, who are “stars” because of their collegiate and off-field fame.)

@Still me

I just looked up [Chad] Lavalais. He’s the only other player on that list [than Sam] who wasn’t drafted in the first two rounds. He played two seasons for the Falcons as a fifth-round pick and was out of football after his third year.

= clarifications