One change in the pre-draft process that may have helped teams is the large volume of Zoom meetings that were held with players. There was not as much face-to-face time, but in some ways, an hour-long Zoom session gave scouts and coaches more insight into a prospect, compared to shorter interviews in previous years at the Combine. Last year, the league changed the Combine interview format from 60 15-minute interviews to 45 18-minute interviews. This year, teams got much more access.
Director of Player Personnel Joe Hortiz said the Ravens' approach to interviewing players via Zoom and seeing players in person gave them thorough evaluations, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.
"Our guys did a lot of it through Zoom," Hortiz said. "During the fall, we were able to go out to games once the league opened that up. We got a chance to them play games live. And then, obviously, it loosened up this spring. We were able to get to campuses and work guys out and put our hands on players, so to speak – to see them upfront and in-person live."
However, once presumptive No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence is taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars, what happens next could in many different directions. The Ravens feel great about their preparation. But as the 2021 draft takes shape, their plans could change quickly due to some unexpected turns.
"I think you have to be prepared if you're a team, anybody could fall in your lap and you have to pounce on one of those guys that you have highly-rated," Brooks said. "The draft order is always a bit of a snowflake in every room. But this year's bananas. When you talk to people, the variances that you hear on prospects is greater than at any other time that I can remember."
DeCosta called the draft a luck-driven process, adding, "We've had some success; we've also had some big misses." This year, there could be even more misses across the league than usual, and the Ravens are trying to not fall into that category.
"I called it in August the most mysterious draft ever – and I've been doing it for 43 years. It's not an exaggeration," ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said on "The Lounge" podcast. "Teams have less information on players than they've ever had."
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