From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report Michigan State C Nick Samac.
#59 NICK SAMAC/OC MICHIGAN STATE – 6-4, 307 POUNDS. (RS SENIOR)
NFL Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Nick Samac | 6040/307 | 9 3/4″ | 32 3/4″ | 79″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Loves to compete and brings it to opponents from the jump
– Gets snap hand where it needs to go quickly
– Hands, hips, and feet are synchronized to stay balanced and make good initial contact
– Good initial snap quickness to get out of his
– Fluid and fast for climbs to middle linebacker and long pulls in space
– Accurate with roadmaps up to second-level angles
– Breaks down in space to mirror and tag moving targets
– Footwork and body control make him a magnet during sustain phase
– Pass protects with inside hands
– Finds additional work when uncovered
– Identifies twists and stunts well to discard them quickly
– Great pin and pull blocker to lead down the line
– Finishes guys on the move with tenacity
THE BAD
– Likely scheme-dependent as a move blocker
– True two-gappers will discard his base block
– Gets to his points but might need more power to finish pro defenders
– Drive base can get hurried and narrow
– Bull rushers can be a problem, uprooting him from his base and pushing him back into the pocket
– Needs to limit oversets and calm his initial movements
– Can be too reliant on two-hand strikes in pass protection that shrink his margin for error
– Stopping his feet too often from securing a block before getting to the second level
– Needs to mix up his hand strikes and include more independent hands to keep rushers guessing
– Holding penalties when he’s beaten with arm-over or swim moves (15 in the past three years).
BIO
– Born 08/21/2001 (22 years old)
– 2,427 snaps in five years, all at center
– 32 starts and appeared in 49 games
– Allowed a total of 45 pressures and six sacks in five years of play
– Suffered a season-ending leg injury (broken fibula) in the first quarter at Indiana on 11/18/23
– He hasn’t been able to actively participate in the Shrine Bowl, Combine, or his Pro Day for events or drills because of the injury
– 2023 team captain
– Two-time Big Ten Honorable Mention selection (2022-23)
– Three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2021-23)
– Rated one of the top offensive guard prospects in the state of Ohio by 247Sports (No. 3), Rivals.com (No. 6) and ESPN.com (No. 6)
– Helped lead Mentor High School to an 11-2 record, the Greater Cleveland Conference title, and a berth in the OHSAA Division 1, Region 1 finals in his senior year
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Samac is a three-year starting center with 32 career inside Michigan State’s 64-36 heavy zone-oriented offensive scheme. Samac has a thick, sturdy build with average arm length, adequate athletic ability, and good play strength. He shows good technique in getting a firm base with his chin tucked and his hips rolled underneath him to generate lower body power and torque. He has body control and striking accuracy when making initial contact with defenders. He doesn’t often look out of control, especially when getting to the second level of the defense. A display of his effort and ability to get out on the perimeter to punish guys in space is showcased here.
Samac is No. 59 in all of the following clips:
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 20, 2024
In the run game, Samac is stout and strong at the point of attack with the needed pad level and a tight initial punch to establish leverage on base and double-team blocks. From there, he plays with great effort and does a solid job running his feet to wall off and secure the first level. Samac plays to the whistle and is always looking for work. When he doesn’t win the initial leverage battle and gets stacked, he struggles to regain control and close space on the defender, resulting in falling off of blocks late in the rep, which can lead to late-developing rush lanes getting slammed shut. He shows good ability on the move to climb to the second level and reach or range to track down and latch on targets consistently.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 20, 2024
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 20, 2024
Samac is a pass-protector who succeeds using his girth, core strength and wide base to take on force and quickly find his anchor. He’s also able to move around in the pocket to buy his quarterback some time. He does really well pulling for screens as well.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 20, 2024
Samac will struggle to land his strike on wider alignments and has minimal burst or lateral quickness to plug lanes against late-developing blitzes and line games or recover against skilled, seasoned hand-fighters and counter moves. Guys with length to use their long arms on him can cause him to lean too much in protection to lose his edge. Bigger nose tackles present issues with his anchor and ability to maintain balance due to power discrepancies.
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 20, 2024
— Jim Hester (@Jh86Guy) March 20, 2024
CONCLUSION
Overall, Samac is a mauler in the run game who has the temperament, physicality, and lateral quickness to thrive in a zone-based offense where he can get out on the second level and use reach blocks to get the most out of his athleticism. His slower, choppy feet could limit his ceiling in pass protection. It’s a shame he wasn’t able to participate in the Shrine Bowl or do any of the drills and events at the NFL Combine or college pro day due to his recovery from his injury. I think you would’ve seen his athleticism shine through more.
He projects as a developmental starter. There are similarities to Lloyd Cushenberry III when he was coming out of LSU. Athletic, strong, and intelligent centers who can eventually be average starters in the NFL over time to carve out a nice career. Samac would definitely be a fit in Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme if the Steelers were looking for a center later in the draft.
Projection: Late Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 7.4 – Rotational Player (Fourth Round)
Games Watched: vs Nebraska (2023), vs Michigan (2023), at Michigan (2022), at Penn State (2022)
