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How Rams Evaluate Players<\/h3>\n
The Rams believe the most important factor in evaluating players in the draft is game film. After the film review, the front office uses the Scouting Combine information to assess players in conjunction with its scouting department.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very intentional about how we use the combine,\u201d Rams general manager Les Snead said\u00a0in 2022<\/a>. \u201cMaybe we\u2019re not there to see subset player, jump, or do his broad jump. But we certainly utilize the numbers as they come in.\u201d<\/p>\n Snead has been the general manager since 2012, but his drafting success began in 2016 when he drafted Jared Goff and Tyler Higbee. From 2016 to 2021, he was more successful in free agency than in the draft, signing players like Andrew Whitworth, Robert Woods, and Jalen Ramsey. During the 2021 championship run, Snead even traded for Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller in the middle of the season, becoming a pivotal reason the Rams won.<\/p>\n The 2021 championship team that had hoisted the Lombardi trophy wasn\u2019t built to last more than a season. Filled with many veterans who were late in their primes, Snead broke the team apart and restarted from scratch. After 2021, Snead and the front office have done less trading and acquiring and relied more on drafting<\/a> and developing.<\/p>\n There was no Scouting Combine in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the Rams adjusted their scouting philosophy.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of different ways of being able to get the information that\u2019s necessary to make sound decisions as it relates to the draft and free agency, and there\u2019s a lot of trust that I have in Les and his group to do that,\u201d head coach Sean McVay continued.<\/p>\n Since 2021, the Rams have drafted players who have contributed either to their own roster or elsewhere in the league. Snead has done a great job drafting All-Pros, Pro Bowlers, and players who have contributed to the Rams\u2019 recent success.<\/p>\n The Rams and the Jaguars are the only two teams that don\u2019t attend the NFL Scouting Combine regularly. While many teams don\u2019t send their coaches, many send general managers or front office personnel to evaluate players. The Scouting Combine gives teams the ability to see just how good players are with their own eyes. The event also helps teams evaluate players based on their strengths. Not every player is exceptional, but if teams see a player with a specific skill, they can choose to select them later in the draft. It also allows players to demonstrate skills their team didn\u2019t showcase to best use their talent.<\/p>\nWhy the Rams Redirected Their Draft Style<\/h3>\n
Rams Combine Intentions<\/h3>\n