Sidy Sow NFL Draft Overview
Position: Guard
Height: 6′-5″
Weight: 323 pounds
School: Eastern Michigan
2023 NFL Draft: Sidy Sow Scouting Report
After spending the past six seasons at Eastern Michigan, Quebec native Sidy Sow has finally declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. The offensive lineman is coming off yet another strong season, earning First-Team All-MAC honors while playing in all 13 games for the Eagles.
Sidy Sow originally entered the college football world back in 2017. After redshirting through his first season, he became the starting left tackle in 2018. However, he quickly moved to guard in 2019 and started playing his best football. Throughout the course of his career, he earned First-Team All-MAC honors on two occasions and Third-Team All-MAC honors in 2020.
Strengths
- Very good build with impressive measurables;
- NFL-caliber athlete – should be able to match up physically with professional strength and quickness;
- Old-school mentality to blocking in the run game;
- Strong hands stop defenders in their tracks when he lands a good punch;
- Versatile player – started off as a tackle and could slide over in emergency situations.
Weaknesses
- Slow processor – struggles to pick up twists or really anything other than a straightforward rush;
- Mechanical footwork – it’s like he’s thinking about every step he should be taking, rather than just playing;
- Will be 25 at the start of the season – can’t teach an old dog new tricks;
- Loses his center of balance too frequently;
- Takes bad angles in the run game.
NFL Comparison: Dan Connolly
Teams With Need at Position: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants
Projection: Round 6/7
Bottom Line on Sidy Sow
Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow has the potential to be a starting-caliber player in the NFL, but he has a long way to go before he actually reaches that ceiling. Based on tools alone, the Quebec native has everything he needs to succeed. He’s built like an NFL offensive lineman, and his testing numbers show that he has the strength and quickness needed to succeed at the next level.
Of course, testing numbers without film is meaningless, and there are moments of brilliance on Sow’s tape. He plays with the ferocity that you absolutely love to see out of an offensive lineman, as he can push defenders back when he gets two hands on them. Additionally, he has a strong punch that can slow down pass rushers when he makes contact.
Unfortunately, these promising moments are too few and far between to justify anything more than a Day 3 pick. Despite a six-year college career and 54 starts, he still struggles to pick up stunts, take good angles, and move fluidly with good fundamentals. These shortcomings weren’t the end of the world in college, as he only faced MAC-level competition, but NFL defenders will be able to exploit these weaknesses.
Again, on paper, these are all fixable issues, so one could assume that the right coaching staff would be able to iron out his flaws and turn him into a starting-caliber guard. While that is technically true, it’s highly unlikely that somebody will be able to fix him. Sidy Sow is going to be 25 at the start of the season, and if he hasn’t figured out these parts of the game by now, it’s unlikely he ever will.
Ultimately, Sidy Sow is a raw prospect that will need some time to develop if he’s ever going to succeed in the NFL. While there is some decent upside here, the odds of him turning into anything more than a backup are pretty slim.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
