NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith has criticised a group of anonymous NFL general managers who said that Michael Sam had damaged his Draft prospects by coming out.

Sam would become the first openly gay NFL player in history if he is chosen in May's Draft, but following his announcement a number of general managers reportedly said that his stock would drop significantly, with one predicting that he would not be picked at all.

However, Smith believes that the reaction is a cowardly one and shows Sam in an even better light for having the courage to come out.

"When you contrast a group of anonymous GMs against a 24-year-old college player, it seems like only one of them had the guts to put his name behind his message," Smith told CSN Washington.

"So my first reaction has nothing to do with Michael Sam. My reaction is to call those GMs for what they are - they're gutless.

"If a young man has the courage to stand up and put his name and his face to talk about what he thinks is important, I would expect that a grown man can do exactly the same thing. But apparently they can't."

NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth admitted that Sam's Draft prospect may have taken a slight hit after the announcement, but is confident that he will make it into the NFL.