2023 NFL Draft Profile: Sidy Sow, Guard, Eastern Michigan

Coming to Eastern Michigan from the Great White North, Sidy Sow has turned a long career into the possibility of playing at the next level.

Sow came to EMU from Quebec, Ontario, and was a two-time member of Team Canada’s football team. Prior to the 2021 season, Sow was rated as a top-three talent or the CFL draft but decided to defer that option until this year to chase his NFL dreams.

He started off right away as the Eagles’ left tackle as a true freshman before bumping inside to left guard before his sophomore season. This move proved beneficial to all involved because Sow earned third-team All-MAC in 2020 in six games played. Following that, he was selected to back-to-back first-team All-MAC teams in 2021 and 2022.

Experience is the name of the game with Sow and there has never been a more experienced player to come out of Eastern Michigan. He owns the program record with 56 games played and 54 starts.

His strength was in the run game. However, in over 2,000 snaps, he allowed just nine sacks in his career.

Prior to the NFL Draft, Sow was actually selected in the 10th round of the USFL Draft by the Michigan Panthers. He is also eligible for the CFL Draft as a Canadian national, though he has made known he’ll seek other opportunities.

One of the biggest strengths of Sow is his athleticism at his size. He was measured at 6’5”, 323 pounds, and ran a 5.07 40-yard time at the NFL Combine, earning him a 86 Athletic Score from NFL.com. Additionally, his testing earned him an incredibly elite 9.93 RAS, the second-best among Combine participants at guard.

His athleticism is obviously a massive plus - and he will likely move up draft boards solely due to this - but he’s also got plenty of skill and experience at the position for the NFL to work with.

As stated before, Sow’s strength is in the run game. He’s a mauler. His strength is a strength... literally.

Let’s start here. It’s fourth-and-one everyone knows EMU is going to run the ball up the middle. From his LG spot, Sow is able to get across, pin back the 1-T, let his center take over, and get to the second level. This allows his running back to easily get the first and move the chains.

If an NFL team is looking for a mean, mean dude, Sow has to be their guy. In the run game, Sow is always looking for work and driving his guys back. As seen here, Sow takes on his man and is able to drive him back and get the pancake, leading the way for a massive gain. He’s able to completely overmatch his competition and win one-on-ones.

One thing that’s obvious is his power. He is able to drive back his defenders to open lanes for his running backs. Here, he’s able to push his man back so far that the back isn’t touched until he’s five or six yards downfield.

Along with his run-blocking abilities, he’s also adept at pass-blocking. One of the knocks against Sow, according to NFL Network’s Lance Zierlien, is that he fails to consistently recognize twists. However, he is still capable of doing so, as evident by this play against Wisconsin. The EDGE looped around and Sow recognized it, passed off the tackle, and picked him up one-on-one to protect his quarterback.

Plus, when he’s pass-blocking, if he’s left alone or he successfully passed the first guy along, he finds work. This is a crucial aspect of Sow’s game and is going to serve him well at the next level when NFL defenses attack him with simulated pressures or delayed blitzes. Here, he finds work and ends up obliterating the defender, providing all kinds of time for his quarterback to unload downfield.

Sow actually started off the season strong, considering the previous clip was in that Eastern Kentucky game as well as this next one. He was one-on-one with a defensive tackle. He not only won his rep, he drove the defender back and pancaked him straight into the gray turf.

Sow has been incredibly consistent for his EMU Eagles. Over the last two years, he has been one of, if not the top guard in the MAC.

His ideal fit would be on an NFL team who wants to run the ball a bit more than they throw. Of course, Sow is fine at pass-blocking, but he’ll be a much more immediate contributor as a run-blocker at the pro level to start.

Despite his versatility, athleticism, and experience, Sow is currently expected to be a late-round pick or even a UDFA. If that’s the case, some team is going to get a steal. Sow’s athleticism alone will translate to the next level— not to mention how much football he’s played without any major injuries.

He’ll have plenty of choices depending on how the NFL Draft season goes for him; he could opt to join the USFL early in their season for an immediate starting role, go to the CFL to compete for a rotation spot or try to stick to an NFL 53-man or practice squad.