How do the Los Angeles Rams use the NFL Scouting Combine to evaluate wide receivers?
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 Los Angeles Rams have made wide receiver their most heavily drafted position group of the last decade. They have spent 10 selections in the first five rounds on wide receiver under Les Snead, their most invested spot.
Unfortunately, they've rarely hit at the position, and it's made wide receiver a clear area of need for the team in 2025. With Cooper Kupp on his way out, the Rams will have just two wide receivers under contract for next season in Puka Nacua and sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington.
The Rams should invest heavily into this position in the offseason, both in free agency and in the draft.
How do they use the NFL Combine to evaluate wide receivers?
| Name | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-Cone | Short Shuttle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brian Quick | 4.55s | 1.63s | 34″ | 119″ | 7.1s | 4.23s |
Chris Givens | 4.41s | 1.57s | 33.5s | 118″ | 6.97s | 4.23s |
Tavon Austin | 4.34s | 1.55s | 32″ | 120″ | N/A | 4.01s |
Stedman Bailey | 4.52s | 1.59s | 34.5″ | 118″ | 6.81s | 4.09s |
Pharoh Cooper | 4.65s | 1.66s | 31″ | 115″ | 7.15s | 4.26s |
Cooper Kupp | 4.62s | 1.62s | 31″ | 116″ | 6.75s | 4.08s |
Josh Reynolds | 4.52s | 1.56s | 37″ | 124″ | 6.83s | 4.13s |
Van Jefferson | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Tutu Atwell | 4.39s | 1.49s | 33″ | 117″ | 6.87s | 4.09s |
Puka Nacua | 4.56s | 1.62s | 33″ | 121″ | 7.32s | 4.36s |
While the Rams have drafted plenty of wide receivers, they have drafted such a wide variety of types and profiles that it's nearly impossible to decipher if they have a specific mold.
All but four of the wide receivers they drafted crossed a 1.5 10-yard split, but the four that didn't are their only hits out of this group, so it's hard to say that's a principle factor.
I wish there was a single specific data point to focus on with this group, but it seems like the Rams toss out a lot of the testing to focus on the film with wide receivers.
That makes it tricky for us to figure out what they'll be looking for at the NFL Combine. More than anything done on the field, it will be a player's interviews, character, and medical checks that the Rams will rely on.
