Will 2021 NFL Scouting Combine format upheaval impact LA Rams draft?

In LA Rams News: The team cannot rely upon the 2021 NFL Scouting Combine results to confirm assessments of prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft. And just why is that? Well, for starters, it appears as though the NFL is changing just about everything we had become accustomed to in terms of the NFL Scouting Combine process.  That means some teams will be ahead of the curve, and some teams will be behind the curve. For now, this appears to feed right into the Rams decision last season to keep key coaches and coordinators at home and allow the personnel department and scouts to do the heavy lifting.

The benefits of that decision did not take long to manifest. The entire OTA/Training Camp schedule was reworked for all 32 NFL teams and most of converted from face-to-face to a virtual format. The Rams had the jump on virtual meetings thanks to their earlier decision.

Now, the Rams will get a bonus payout on embracing the remote scouting techniques for assessing young talented prospects.  And just in time, it seems, as the NFL has released their updated directives about the new NFL Scouting Combine.

So what are the most noticeable changes?

Pro days format

The NFL is abandoning the clearinghouse concept of inviting the top talent from colleges and universities to compete simultaneously. Teams will no longer be able to view athletes side by side, in a sequential format.  That will improve the chances of players who would not have been invited to the Combine, and will diminish the ‘elite’ status of the select group that would have been asked to join.

How will pro days coordinate similar drills and athletic testing to achieve consistent and comparable test results? Well, the NFL plans to coordinate a scripted series of tests to accommodate the need for comparability. And the NFL will serve as the repository (warehouse) for all videos and measurements from individual player workouts to ensure each team has equal and ready access to the data.

Per the information available on the NFL.com website on the matter, the NFL will coordinate with medical staff from all NFL teams for ‘comprehensive medical information on each of the invited prospects.” In-person testing will be available for “a certain number of prospects” at designated locations, likely in early April.

Interviews and psychological testing will be coordinated with the NFL and will be conducted via a virtual format.

More emphasis on Senior Bowl

Of course, that means that an even greater emphasis will be placed upon the performances of prospects in the annual Senior Bowl. And that means the biggest showcase of collegiate talent has suddenly become bigger, brighter, and even more critical for the careers of anyone entering the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

So how should LA Rams fans approach the upcoming draft? Well, we’ve already been hard at work compiling relevant information, and we have just gotten started. Here is a good list of what we’ve been busy with so far:

The Rams will certainly have their work cut out for them this off-season. But so will all 32 NFL teams.

The Rams have the advantage of four day-two picks and a scouting department that has feasted on finding players who fall in the draft with top-notch talent. Change is neither good nor bad. Change is simply different. How the Rams handle the change will dictate either a positive or negative outcome for the team.

With the recent changes to the team’s coaching staff, the significant investment in technology in the personnel and scouting department, I believe that the LA Rams will pass this test with flying colors.  When will we know?  Well, when we finally have the answer of just how well the Rams drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft. And that will take years to truly figure out.