NFL Reportedly 'Resistant' to Rescheduling 2021 Draft If Combine Gets Moved Back

The NFL "has been resistant as of now" to the idea of pushing back the 2021 draft in the event the 2021 scouting combine is rescheduled, according to The MAQB's Albert Breer.

The NCAA announced Monday it's staging the majority of the 2021 men's basketball tournament in Indianapolis from March 14 through April 5. That potentially presents logistical problems for the NFL combine, which traditionally begins the last week of February and goes through early March.

Breer reported shifting the combine to April is a possibility, which is leading some to discuss a similar delay to the draft.

He called outright cancellation the "doomsday option" given how important the combine is during the predraft process. Team personnel do in-person evaluations of and interviews with eligible prospects, and those prospects undergo medical evaluations as well.

The NFL announced in spring it's looking to hold the 2021 draft in Cleveland over three days starting April 29. An April combine wouldn't leave teams with much turnaround time to get their draft boards together and identify their preferred targets.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has already impacted the buildup to one draft. In-person pro days were basically nonexistent, and the 2020 draft itself was held remotely. It wasn't ideal, and there were some hiccups while getting all of the people and systems prepped.

In general, the whole thing ultimately went pretty seamlessly.

Putting only a few weeks instead of nearly two months between the combine and draft might be one more adjustment teams have to make until business can get back to normal.