How will the Vikings handle the 2021 version of the NFL Combine?
By Luke Parrish
What will the Minnesota Vikings do differently for the 2021 version of the NFL Scouting Combine?
The Minnesota Vikings will have to alter their plans for the NFL Scouting Combine this year thanks to a new format for the event.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing and shuffling things around in the league, the combine will not be the same annual scouting spectacle that people are used to.
Workouts for draft prospects will not be done in-person at the combine this year. That means no 40-yard dash or on-field drills to see how prospects move and adapt to NFL coaching, even if it’s only for a day. At the same time, this year’s combine is not completely worthless either.
How can the Minnesota Vikings make the most of the combine?
The on-field workouts are always the prize of each combine, especially for fans, because we get to see how prospects move and interact with NFL coaches.
Of course, not all drills and events are the same, and not every prospect will compete. For example, top quarterback prospects often sit out of the throwing portion of their workout due to a lack of familiarity with their targets. A few bad throws could be a huge difference-maker on draft day.
The real purpose of the combine is to evaluate players on a mental and physical level. The Vikings and other teams around the league rely on in-person meetings to really get to know prospects and figure out if they will fit in with their organization. Physicals and medical exams also ensure there are no lingering injuries with the prospects who attend the event.
This year, all of these meetings, interviews, and medicals will be done elsewhere or virtually. This is where Minnesota can really place their focus and take full advantage of the combine.
The film will be more important than ever when evaluating this year’s draft prospects, which is not to say it was never a big part of the process. But with no on-field workouts aside from Pro Days later in the pre-draft process, teams will have to really grasp college tape to see how players move.
For the Vikings, a team with a good amount of holes and question marks this offseason, this will be a difficult but exciting challenge. The player interviews will be crucial, so Minnesota will have to conduct as many as they can while also receiving medicals from everyone as they usually would.
The interviews will likely separate the prospects in a way that the film might have done in years past. Prospects will raise concerns and there is sure to be a big story to come out of the interviews. It just happens every year.
We have heard of the harsh – or just honest – nature of Mike Zimmer and how that may impact players early on. Well, guess what? These interviews are still perfect for putting pressure on the young guys and seeing if they crack or not.
Now more than ever, the combine will force the Vikings to evaluate their players off the field without the luxury of seeing them compete on it. Pro Days will come later, which will allow teams to evaluate from that standpoint. But the combine should still help trim down Minnesota’s board of potential 2021 draft picks.
This year’s pre-draft process is sure to be very different and it may not affect every team the same. In order to make the most out of it, the Vikings have to dig deep into the film beforehand and test these players in the meetings.