There’s a reason players connect with Sean McVay and his coaching philosophy—and a reason he connects with them. When he became the Rams’ head coach, he was the youngest in NFL history, stepping into a role that required him to learn on the fly. One key takeaway from his experience? The NFL Combine workout is largely overrated.
Advertisement
Many top prospects now opt out of the drills, believing their game tape speaks louder than a few athletic tests—and McVay agrees. On a recent episode of Pardon My Take, the Super Bowl-winning coach revealed that he hasn’t attended the Combine workouts in years. He believes the drills often produce skewed results and lead to scouting mistakes.
For McVay, game tape remains the most reliable tool for evaluating a player. He puts little stock in Combine workouts and instead trusts his scouts to do their job, focusing on what truly matters—how a player performs when it counts.
” The workout part is a really small portion at me at least I think. I think it has lead to some misevaluations. The tape is the biggest guide,” he said.
So, if McVay doesn’t value the Combine workouts, what does he use the event for? According to him, the most valuable aspect of the process is conducting medical evaluations. Many players enter the draft with undisclosed injuries, while others have past injuries that scouts tend to overanalyze. The Combine helps teams get a clearer picture of a player’s health.
Another key part of the Combine that McVay values is the 15-minute interview teams conduct with prospects. These short meetings provide insight into a player’s football IQ, but McVay admits that the time isn’t nearly enough for a thorough evaluation.
Given the limited window, he has developed a strategy to get the most meaningful information. Instead of focusing on Xs and Os, he asks players about the biggest adversity they’ve faced in life and how they overcame it.
Of course, not everyone has experienced major hardship, and McVay doesn’t hold that against them. But he firmly believes that adversity reveals character. Tough situations teach invaluable lessons, and players who have learned to overcome challenges often develop the resilience and mental toughness needed to succeed in the NFL.
“What’s the biggest adversity you faced and how did you bounce back from it? I’m such a big believer just based on the course of things that have occurred professionally for me or personally. People who have shown a consistent ability to be able to respond and use adversity to kind of pull themselves forward and it doesn’t break them that means a whole hell of a lot to me.”
It’s no surprise that players want to play for McVay or that the Rams have become a desirable destination. His emphasis on mental toughness and ability to handle adversity has shaped both his coaching style and the team’s identity.
That mindset has paid off in recent seasons. Despite slow starts in each of the last two years, McVay has guided the Rams to the playoffs, relying on a combination of resilience and elite coaching to turn things around.
