How do the Los Angeles Rams use the NFL Scouting Combine to evaluate pass rushers?
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine has officially arrived. The entire NFL world descends on Indianapolis to meet with draft prospects for interviews, medical checks, and athletic testing. However, the Los Angeles Rams don't send a particularly heavy presence to the Combine. Neither GM Les Snead nor head coach Sean McVay will be in attendance this […]
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine has officially arrived. The entire NFL world descends on Indianapolis to meet with draft prospects for interviews, medical checks, and athletic testing.
However, the Los Angeles Rams don't send a particularly heavy presence to the Combine. Neither GM Les Snead nor head coach Sean McVay will be in attendance this year, once again.
Many teams use the Combine to test measurables for each prospect that lines up with how they view the position. For many teams, a certain arm length or a certain threshold on the broad jump will determine if they take a player or not.
How do the Rams use the Combine to evaluate each position?
The edge room is a tricky one to project for the Rams. Jared Verse and Byron Young are safe as starters, but the depth behind them is wide open. Michael Hoecht is a free agent, and the Rams might not bring him back. Brennan Jackson and Nick Hampton are recent Day 3 picks for the team, but neither one of them has earned a part of the rotation due to injuries.
This could mean that the Rams would be interested in adding another mid-round pass rusher into the mix.
What do they look for with pass rushers at the NFL Combine?
| Name | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-Cone | Short Shuttle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Samson Ebukam | 4.50s | 1.53s | 39″ | 130″ | 7.07s | 4.34s |
Obo Okoronkwo | 4.77s | 1.65s | 38″ | 121″ | 7.09s | 4.34s |
Terrell Lewis | N/A | N/A | 37″ | 124″ | N/A | N/A |
Byron Young | 4.40s | 1.54s | 38″ | 132″ | 7.19s | N/A |
Nick Hampton | 4.58s | 1.55s | 35.5″ | 120″ | N/A | N/A |
Jared Verse | 4.58s | 1.59s | 35″ | 127″ | 7.31s | 4.44s |
Brennan Jackson | 4.69s | 1.61s | 33.5″ | 114″ | 7.43s | 4.34s |
The Rams are pretty clear on what they look for in pass rushers. They want explosiveness out of that room more than any other trait.
Six of the seven pass rushers cleared the 35" mark in the vertical (71st percentile), the 120" mark in the broad jump (73rd percentile), while four of the seven ran a 4.5 or better 40-yard dash (90th percentile), and six of the seven cleared a 1.65 or better 10-yard split.
When the Combine kicks off, keep an eye on how the EDGE rushers test on the explosive jump drills, their 40-yard dash times, and their 10-yard splits.
