The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

For champion Rams, who needs combine?

Team used high picks in this draft to acquire star players.

- By D. Orlando Ledbetter dledbetter@ajc.com

Rams coach Sean Mcvay and general manager Les Snead are not attending the NFL scouting combine.

They really don’t need to after trading away most of their draft picks to amass enough stars to help them win Super Bowl LVI.

The Rams don’t have a pick inside of the top 100, and Snead blurted out “(expletive) the draft” at their Super Bowl parade.

The Rams sent their firstround pick (32nd) to the Lions as part of the Matthew Stafford trade along with several other picks. At the trade deadline, they traded their second- and third-round picks to the Broncos for pass rusher Von Miller.

The Rams’ first pick is currently a compensato­ry pick after the third round for former college director of scouting Brad Holmes being hired by the Lions as their general manager.

The Rams have seven other day 3 picks (fifth, sixth and seventh rounds).

There wasn’t a combine last year because of the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Mcvay and Snead will appear virtually for their media session today.

Track meet

The NFL Network has committed to broadcasti­ng nearly 50 hours of programmin­g from the combine this week. The workouts start Thursday.

The combine has grown since its first appearance on the league-owned affiliate, which started in 2004.

The scouting combine has been used to generate offseason headlines and interest in the game after the Super Bowl.

New home for combine

The scouting combine has been held in Indianapol­is since 1987 but could be on the move.

The league has put out bids for the event beginning next year, with Dallas, Los Angeles and Las Vegas as the front-runners.

Corral won’t throw

Mississipp­i quarterbac­k Matt Corral, one of the top prospects in the draft, will not throw at the combine.

Corral is recovering from a high ankle sprain he suffered in the Sugar Bowl and will throw at his pro day.

Fastest 40 time?

The over-under on the fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine is 4.29 seconds, according to sportsbett­ing.ag.

The over-under on the most bench presses is 40.5 times.

The over-under on Liberty quarterbac­k Malik Willis’ 40-yard dash time is 4.4 seconds. Willis is from Atlanta and played his high school football at Roswell and Westlake. He started his career at Auburn before transferri­ng to Liberty.

Dawgs in the house

Georgia is the most-represente­d school with 14 players at this year’s combine.

Linebacker Nakobe Dean, edge rusher Travon Walker and defensive tackle Jordan Davis led the Georgia contingent. Overall, there are 38 players with Georgia connection­s set to participat­e.

Alabama and Oklahoma are tied for the second-most players with 11, followed by LSU and Texas A&M with nine, and Cincinnati, Arizona State, Michigan, Ole Miss and Penn State with eight.

It just means more

The SEC has 82 players, followed by the Big Ten with 54 players.

Next come the Pac-12 (36), Big 12 (35) and the ACC (34).

The American Athletic (20) and Mountain West (14) are also well represente­d.

 ?? MICHAEL CONROY/ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Falcons coach Arthur Smith speaks during a news conference at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapol­is on Tuesday.
MICHAEL CONROY/ASSOCIATED PRESS Falcons coach Arthur Smith speaks during a news conference at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapol­is on Tuesday.

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