Canadian offensive lineman Sidy Sow has been selected by the New England Patriots with the 117th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Bromont, Que. native was the third Canadian selected in this year’s draft, coming off the board early on Day 3. Most consensus boards had Sow projected to go much later, but his athleticism and experience caught the eye of legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick.
Sow spent six seasons at Eastern Michigan University from 2017 to 2022, redshirting his first year on campus. He would go on to start 54 of the 56 career games he played, setting school records in both categories. After beginning his career at left tackle, he moved to left guard in 2018 and was a three-time All-MAC honouree at the position, including receiving back-to-back first-team selections the past two seasons.
The Canadian attended the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl all-star game this offseason and garnered attention from alternative pro leagues, getting selected in the 10th round of the inaugural USFL Collegiate Draft.
The six-foot-five, 323-pound blocker was on the NFL bubble before posting some impressive athletic testing numbers at the NFL Combine. He ran the third-fastest forty-yard dash among guard prospects at 5.07 seconds, with a 1.8-second ten-yard split. Sow also jumped 32 inches in the vertical and nine feet and three inches in the broad, before recording a 4.69-second short shuttle and a 7.62-second three-cone. He put up 27 reps on the bench press at his Eastern Michigan pro day.
Sow is part of a potentially record-setting class of Canadian talent available this year, with as many as six having a chance to be drafted in 2023. He is the fifth-ranked prospect in the 2023 CFL Draft, but will likely fall to the later rounds due to his NFL opportunity.
