This is what Drew Boylhart at the huddle report had to say about him. He gave him a 1st round grade
STRENGTHS
Sam has a lot of untapped talent in that body of his. He has good size and athletic abilities and looks to be too good of a teammate. He shows on film the athletic skills to become a DeMarcus Ware type of 3-4 linebacker. Sam has the agility to drop off the line into zone coverage and in a short area stay with a tight end or running back in man-to-man. He is a solid tackler and has those long arms that will allow him in the future to keep offensive linemen off him when they try to cut block him. Sam is the type of player that will become more impacting at the NFL level than he was at the college level. He has the talent, the work ethic and the leadership skills to become an excellent 4-3 Defensive End or 3-4 Outside Linebacker.
CONCERNS
First of all, Sam has to get away from his brother. Right now, Sam is too concerned with showing people how good his brother is rather than improving and showing scouts how good he is or can be. Sam has a lot to learn in all phases of his game and must get stronger to become the player his talents suggest that he can become. He must learn to disengage from his blocker faster and make impacting tackles. Sam must also learn to use his hands better when pass rushing. He has a lot to learn, but I believe that he can, and will, achieve his potential given time and some good coaching.
BOTTOM LINE
When I first saw Sam on film, I didn't think much of him at all. In fact, it took until recently when I was looking at another player who was playing against Texas that I started to appreciate and understand what this kid was doing out on the field. At first I was confused because I would see #18 Acho make a play and then I would see #81 Acho make another play. I started to think my dyslexic ways were sneaking into my ability to recognize players by numbers! So I went back and pulled out all the film for the last two years on Texas to find out what was going on. As I was watching I had to keep saying to myself, "Look for #81, not #18. Look for #81, not #18." As I did this, I realized that #81 was playing two positions at once. Sam was playing his position and at the same time trying to set his brother up on plays so #18 could make tackles and look good also. Then I realized that not only was this kid smart, but to a fault, he was a very good teammate. Sam will be drafted somewhere in the first few rounds of this draft, but I think his workouts and Senior Bowl play will surprise a lot of scouts because once Sam starts playing for Sam, you are going to see talent that has been hidden for the last few years. I call him Sam (I Am) Acho because Sam needs to find an "I" someplace in his game to become the player his talents suggest that he should become. Sam (I am) Acho will become a core player, fan favorite and in future years for the team that is lucky enough to get him if he finds the "I" in Sam (I Am) Acho.
