Sam Baker, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect

Offensive Tackle 6' 5" 305 lbs. Speed: NA USC Senior

I remember almost three years ago, after the 2004 football season, Hall of Fame offensive lineman Anthony Munoz said something to the effect that USC’s Sam Baker was the best NFL Prospect that he has ever seen. That year Baker started all of 2004 at left offensive tackle for USC as a redshirt freshman. Fast forward to 2007 and Munoz’s words of wisdom are coming true. While Baker isn’t rated as high as Michigan’s Jake Long on most NFL Draft Boards that I have seen, he is not far behind.

When you look at his past and his pedigree it’s easy to see why he is one of the most heralded offensive lineman to ever play college football. His Dad is the commissioner of the Arena Football League and formerly played pro basketball in Europe and his brother was an offensive lineman at Duke. Baker himself, out of high school was highly decorated and sought after. He was a Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Student Sports All-American, Tom Lemming All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, The Sporting News Hot 100, Tom Lemming Top 100. I think you get the point, he was quite the recruiting catch for USC.

Baker was given a redshirt in 2003 and like I pointed out earlier, he started at left tackle for the entire 2004 season as a redshirt freshman. That year he made the 2004 Football Writers, The Sporting News, Collegefootballnews.com and Rivals.com Freshman All-American first teams, All-Pac-10 second team, ESPN.com All-Pac-10 first team and The Sporting News Freshman All-Pac-10 first team. He was also named USC's Offensive Lineman of the Year.

As a sophomore in 2006 he played left tackle again and continued to improve, He won numerous accolades:

·         2005 CBS Sportsline.com All-American first team, AP and Rivals.com

·         All-American third team

·         SI.com All-American honorable mention squad

·         2005 All-Pac-10 first team

·         2005 ESPN.com All-Pac-10 team

·         USC's Co-Lifter of the Year Award

In 2006 as a junior Sam Baker continued to improve and get stronger and could have been a very early draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, had he entered as a junior. He emerges as one of the top offensive lineman in the nation and was awarded:

·         2006 All-Pac-10 first team

·         ESPN.com All-Pac-10 first team

·         Rivals.com All-Pac-10 first team

·         Scout.com All-Pac-10 first team

·         2006 Playboy Pre-Season All-American team

Baker wisely chose to return to USC for his senior year (2007) and Baker was on everyone’s 1^st Team Preseason All American list, including the 2007 Playboy Pre-Season All-American team and the "Watch List" for the 2007 Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award. Baker, a four year starter has been remarkably healthy during his collegiate career; however he did have arthroscopic surgery to remove loose cartilage in his left knee prior to 2007 spring practice, but is not expected to miss any time on the field.

Baker might be converted to guard in the NFL, he is not a real big NFL prospect, but he plays with great tenacity and leverage. He knows how to use angles, is good with his hands, has been well coached and he has quick feet.

Update: Baker, a 4-year starter, played through injuries most this past season with sore ribs and a tight hamstring, but was still a 3-time All-Pac-10 first teamer and a semifinalist for the 2007 Lombardi Award. He was also named to the Walter Camp All-American first team, making him USC's third-ever 3-time All-American.

He is a solid talent and has the skill set to eventually start at tackle or guard in the NFL, but he really needs to work on his strength and conditioning. He didn't work out well at all in the post season and has almost certainly slipped out of the first round after running a slow 5.41 and 5.54 forty at USC's Pro Day. He has the physical talent, but hasn't shown the discipline to make the most out of it by letting himself get out of shape. Maybe not out of shape, but he hasn't developed his body in the weight room enough to be a force in the NFL at this point.

• Walter Camp All-American first team
• Phil Steele’s All-American first team
• AP All-American second team
• SI.com All-American second team
• Collegefootballnews.com All-American second team
• All-Pac-10 first team (for the third consecutive year)
• ESPN.com All-Pac-10 first team
• Collegefootballnews.com All-Pac-10 first team
• Phil Steele’s All-Pac-10 first team and Rivals.com All-Pac-10 second team
• 1 of 12 semifinalists for the 2007 Lombardi Award.