LA Rams analytics driven 2020 NFL Draft strategy

The LA Rams approach to the NFL Draft under GM Les Snead has been anything but boring. What magic can Rams muster for the 2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft is as important for the LA Rams as any other NFL teams. However, the approach taken by the Rams in the draft is a road less traveled.  General manager Les Snead is cut from the wheeler dealer mold of previous legendary NFL general managers.  He’s willing to trade for multiple NFL Draft day one picks. He’s just as likely to trade out of day one picks.  Right now, the LA Rams have not selected in round one since selecting QB Jared Goff with the first overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Can the Rams remain in the hunt for NFL playoffs without a top pick?  Well, you cannot argue with success. Since placing Goff under center, the Rams have posted records of 11-5, 13-3, and 9-7. That is a 33-15 record over the past 3 seasons. That doesn’t feel like a team out of talent.

The Rams have drafted very well, despite missing out of round one for the past three seasons. And the team has been rather successful finding talent among undrafted free agents as well. Much of that has been thanks to the marriage of Rams scouting department under Snead with the emergence of data analytics.

But the NFL Draft is also completely dependent upon who is on the board when the Rams select. So even in the most scientific methods, luck inserts itself into the formula. Analytical science increases the probability of making a successful pick. And data increases analytics.  So this year, we will try to factor in Big Data from the moment of the 2020 NFL combine. This season, the NFL combine occurs from Sunday February 23 until March 2. We’ll keep you posted.

After all, what’s good enough for the LA Rams is good enough for us.