DID MICHAEL SAM'S DRAFT PROJECTION DROP?

Since going public on his sexual orientation on Sunday, Michael Sam has been the topic of conversation.  Included in this discussion has been what effect will it or did it have on his draft status?  Having heard that his status dropped 70 places from Sunday to Monday, I decided to do a simple online search to collect articles about him and his draft projection prior to Sunday.

Here are some articles and links which appear to show what people thought of Michael before his announcement.  Unfortunately, all of the legitimate draft ranking websites are continuously updating so I haven't been able to view his previous rankings.  I also ran into several articles/posts which have been updated in the past week.

January 29, 2014- Sam Kahn Jr. of ESPN.com has Sam ranked as the 8th best player in the SEC in the 2013 season.

January 21, 2014- Terez A Paylor - In an article published in The Kansas City Star- Quotes are based in regards to his practices before the Senior Bowl. 

• NFL Network analyst Charles Davis watched Sam, the 2013 Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year, dominate three straight times in one-on-one pass-rush drills on Tuesday and was blown away.“Pass-rushing straight ahead, (he) was terrific today,” Davis said. “I mean, they didn’t block him at all in those situations.”
• Mark Dulgerian of OptimumScouting.com was also impressed with Sam’s array of pass-rush moves, though he didn’t think they were particularly effective during the times he watched him in one-on-one pass-rush drills vs. backs, tight ends and linemen on Tuesday.
  
  “He’s a good athlete,” Dulgerian said. “It’s just a matter of putting it together with the speed and the moves and being able to execute it with success.”
• Sam is the 12th-best outside pass rusher in the draft, according to ESPN’s Scouts Inc.
  
  

January 9, 2014- NFL Media Analyst Charles Davis- In an article published on ESPN.com, compared Michael Sam and his teammate Kony Ealy: "I like Ealy better than Sam as a pro prospect. Both are really promising prospects. They bring good speed off the edge and hold the point of attack vs. the run better than you think." "Both Sam and Ealy are guys we'll be talking about a lot leading up to the draft."

December 24, 2013- Nate Latsch- Fox Sports- He was a first-team All-SEC selection, the Associated Press SEC Defensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-America from the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Associated Press, America Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and a finalist for the Nagurski, Lombardi and Hendricks Awards.

November 2013- Andy Staples of MMQB welcomes Sam into the top 50 draft prospect.  Sam was ranked 19th overall.
Matt Richner predicts that Sam will be a 2nd round pick.

October 23, 2013- Sharon Katz- ESPN-
"Through seven games, Michael Sam has had more of an impact than projected No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Jadaveon Clowney. "