Pre-draft process has helped Rams in big way over the years

As Los Angeles Rams ams fans prepare to take in the NFL draft this weekend, they should sit content knowing that the most important work is already done.

As important as Los Angeles Rams think the selections are in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft, the most important work is done in the many months leading up to the big event.

The amount of hours that scouts, evaluators, and even investigators put in to do the leg work on the prospects who hope to hear their names called NFL Draft weekend is insane to think about, but also pays off in a big way, especially for a team like the Rams.

Vincent Bonsignore recently wrote a piece for the Athletic detailing the Rams pre-draft process, which he calls “the most in-depth system in the NFL.”

Here are some takeaways Rams fans should be aware of as they prepare to watch the draft.

1. The Rams value a passion for football extraordinarily high

The article tells of scouts looking at a players measurable attributes compared to their on field production, and if the production doesn’t match the talent, that is a red flag.

All teams value passion for the game, but the Rams seem to make it the most important thing in their evaluative process.

This should not surprise anyone. When watching Sean McVay on the sidelines, there is no one questioning his passion for the game since he’s one of the most intense head coaches in the league.

That is one of the things that makes McVay stand out compared to all of the other coaches, which is he doesn’t mind showing his emotion in the sidelines.

This is built into the system and it affects every level of the Rams organization.

2. The process is long, arduous, and detailed

The article gives the reader an up close look at the process over the course of a year or more.

The scouts work hard. They are on the road a lot.

“It’s not unusual for a scout to drive to three schools, sometimes four, within a week,” Bonsignore says.

“Out west, that could mean spending Tuesday in Berkeley to catch Cal, Wednesday in Eugene to see Oregon and Thursday in Seattle to watch Washington.”

Also, remember that Rams general manager Les Snead started out as a scout.

From 1995 until he was hired as the general manager for the Rams in 2012, Snead worked as a scout and as the director of Pro/Player Personnel for the Atlanta Falcons.

In other words, Snead knows the business and oversees the process.

3. Aaron Donald is used as a test case in the article of how going the extra mile saw enormous fruit

The article tells of scout Brad Holmes going to visit the University of Pittsburgh and getting a tip about the under-sized defensive lineman in Aaron Donald.

One coach told Holmes he should plan to come out about 45 minutes early with the specialists.

When Holmes did, he saw Donald completely suited up and ready to play, nearly an hour before his defensive teammates would take the field.

The work ethic that led to Donald hitting the weight room extra hard in the offseason started early.

That moment told the Rams much of what they needed to know to draft Donald 13th overall in 2014, and the rest is history after watching him over the years develop into arguably the most talented defensive players in the NFL.