LA Rams virtual combine prepared team for virtual 2020 NFL Draft

The LA Rams’ new coordinators spent the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine at LA. Now, the team’s virtual reality prepares them for the 2020 NFL Draft

The LA Rams have a bit of an advantage heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. Perhaps not as great of an advantage as some of the fans might prefer, but an advantage nevertheless.  After all, only two NFL teams elected NOT to send coaches to the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.  The coaching staff from the LA Rams, and that of the Denver Broncos.

Now, in the reality brought about by the restrictions imposed as governments try to halt the spread of the COVID-19 Coronavirus, virtual reality, and remote operations have become the norm for 2020. A norm the Rams have the jump on compared to other NFL teams, thanks to that decision to participate in the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine from afar.

Of course, the LA Rams have other advantages in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.  The team will have an advantage when selecting offensive linemen in this draft because the overall talent level is very deep. But the “ready to start’ graded players are rather shallow, and will likely be gone in round one. That means teams seeking help on the offensive line will need to draft raw players and develop them into NFL caliber players via the coaching staff. That is Rams’ offensive line coach Aaron Kromer’s specialty.

And then there is the LA Rams fully embracing the technological advances in tracking and assessing player performances. Sports data analytics is alive and flourishing within the LA Rams and has been one of general manager Les Snead’s most vital tools in preparing to make the team’s selections at the NFL Draft.

In fact, the use of data analytics has set the Rams up to have a solid draft once more.  Not only are the Rams somewhat insulated from the lack of direct meetings with players, but the team is already familiar with charting, graphing, and scouting prospects virtually.

While meeting players personally cannot be replaced by data points and data analysis. But in 2020, the fact that all NFL teams are not forced to operate their 2020 NFL Draft preparations similar to that of a video game means that teams who have embraced the cutting edge of “big data” have a distinct advantage.

The LA Rams hold no first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and possess just six picks in the entire draft. So they need any advantage they can find. Right now, it appears as though a few advantages are lining up for them.