3 small-school prospects Rams Les Snead will monitor closely at NFL Combine

It's time for the Los Angeles Rams to fire up their data analytics department, pop the popcorn, and nestle into the video room to ensure that coaches, scouts, and personnel executives are ready to digest hundreds of portfolios describing hopeful NFL draft prospects.

It's the first step of the make-or-break process for dreams. While the other 31 NFL teams descend on Indianapolis, Indiana, to get a birds-eye view of another annual NFL Scouting Combine, Los Angeles has sent only a skeleton crew of scouts to the event. Much of the heavy lifting for coaches and executives is performed back at headquarters.

It's not that LA does not value the combine. But it views video footage and collaboration more. The team entrusts scouts to cover the combine highlights. The Horns' brain trust is busy prioritizing who those scouts should pay particular attention to.

Thankfully, a solid article by The Athlon's Doug Farrar highlights a solid dozen small-school prospects to pay attention to during the week-long combine event. Of the group, here are three promising rookie candidates who could be of particular interest to general manager Les Snead.

3 small-school prospects Rams will monitor closely at NFL Combine

Quarterback Cole Payton, North Dakota State

Even as the team ponders over the best successor to veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, the LA Rams are blessed with one thing other QB-needy teams do not have: Time. So it's possible that while other general managers vie for a position to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza or Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, Snead can lie in wait for a small school quarterback on Day 3 of the draft.

One quarterback who is definitely worth the wait is North Dakota State's sensation, quarterback Cole Payton.

Payton has mastered the art of throwing the deep pass, and he outperformed both Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza in that department. His limited starting experience, left-handed throwing, and funky throwing mechanics make him the epitome of a high-risk, high-reward prospect.

He has enough leg speed to move chains with his legs. As such, he will need to learn how to throw intermediate passes into tight windows. But LA has time to coach him up, and with Kliff Kingsbury on staff, he could be an ideal Day 3 selection that answers some huge questions for the team.

Wide receiver Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word

Don't feel bad if you haven't heard much about Incarnate Word wide receiver Jalen Walthall. Few have. But this wide receiver is going to make a name for himself at the combine. Standing as high as 6-foot-2 and tipping the scales at 187 pounds, Walthall may need to spend more time bulking up in the weight room, but he certainly shines on the football field.

He boasts all the prerequisites needed to pop on Snead's receiver radar: Route running, great hands and catch radius, yards after the catch, and explosive plays.

His only skill that needs attention is blocking, and that means that even if selected by LA, he is unlikely to see much playing time. But if he can master blocking, he is another Day 3 prospect with NFL-stardom written all over him.

Interior defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana

The Horns already boast superb interior defensive linemen Braden Fiske, Poona Ford, and Kobie Turner. Southeastern Louisiana defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor is cut from the same cord of wood. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 275 pounds, his dimensions alone will drop his draft stock on the shopping list of many NFL teams.

But like every other Rams defender mentioned above, what he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in passion and production. He was a former linebacker who learned to play with a hand in the dirt. He also mastered an entire arsenal of pass rush moves that includes bull rush, clubs, swims, arm-overs, and double-hand swipes. He seldom uses the same move twice.

The results were impressive.

He possesses the speed of a cheetah, the agility of a cat, and the incessant hand moves of an octopus. He is particularly special when stunting, finding cracks like a running back. And once he gets the bead on a quarterback, it's all over.

There will be many exciting prospects present who could fit the LA Rams roster. But these three small-school prospects are particularly attractive, as they all seem to possess the passion for the game that the team looks for.

As always, thanks for reading.