NFL’s questionable pre-draft season could benefit consistent teams like Chiefs

The COVID pandemic could continue to reward teams with the most front office consistency in 2021.

On Sunday, NFL reporter Adam Schefter broke the news that the NFL isn’t quite sure the league is going to be able to pull off the typical pre-draft season as anticipated. In fact, the very scouting combine, typically held in Indianapolis, is “questionable” and the league is expected to make announcements this next week as they decide how to move forward in the wake of a global pandemic.

This incoming college class of NFL hopefuls have already lost out on plenty before and during the college football season. Now they might miss out on pre-draft processes as well, especially ones that allow lesser known prospects to climb draft boards.

The NFL isn’t yet sure what will happen with the NFL Combine, but it’s important to note that it’s likely not a black-and-white thing—as if the several-day event is either on or off. Instead, the league will likely look at alternate timelines and/or ways in which the event can still take place and allow college players to be showcased, interviewed, and checked out by medical trainers. The event is an important linchpin for all involved—not just the players—and teams will be keen to come up with solutions.

That said, this sort of disruption points to a potential advantage that teams with consistency in their personnel—such as the Kansas City Chiefs—could enjoy over others. Let’s take a team like the Carolina Panthers, for example. They have 10 remaining candidates waiting on their decision in their search for a new general manager. By the time the NFL Combine is supposed to happen, that GM will still be learning the names of coworkers and where to park at the facility.

It’s even worse for teams who are hiring an entire new leadership core. For a team looking for a GM and head coach, it will require a serious on-ramp for that coach and his new staff to communicate to the front office the sort of players needed to make their planned schemes successful. It’s likely that any new combinations will be given a free pass for their entire first year as it just seems impossible for anyone to have a well-planned effort in time for this year’s draft—at least at the level they would like.

Imagine Andy Reid and John Dorsey coming into K.C. with the first pick overall back in 2013 at the same time that many college players have opted out, others have only played a handful of games, and the pre-draft process has been sidelined. Imagine if there are little to no pro days scheduled. Imagine if personal visits to Arrowhead weren’t allowed. It’s hard enough for losing teams to try to turn things around, but this offseason is going to make it more difficult.

On the other hand, a team like the Chiefs, even if they lose a couple executives and coaching assistants to other franchises this offseason, are likely to enjoy the benefit of having worked together for years. There’s already a shared language and understanding in what is needed to make the franchise successful. In fact, it’s also likely that GM Brett Veach and his staff have planned for this, knowing that such disruptions were possible. Perhaps they’ve laid the tracks to take new roads in order to find small college gems and undervalued players in advance.

No one wants to see these sorts of hurdles placed in the way of the typical NFL calendar. The league has become a year-round enterprise, and many of us love the drama of the draft and the anticipation leading up to it. But this year is going to be different for the foreseeable future, and those teams with the sturdiest ships will have the easiest time in these new waters.