Rams GM Les Snead tests positive for COVID-19, will work NFL draft virtually
Rams general manager Les Snead tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and is conducting the NFL draft from his home rather than from the team’s sponsored draft house in Malibu, Snead told reporters during a videoconference Thursday night.
“Started feeling some effects [Wednesday] night,” Snead said after the first round of the draft, in which the Rams did not have a pick. “Like the 2020 draft, I’ll do it from a remote and be part of it from here.
“But can’t make that up, right? You test positive like on the first day of the draft, not like two days before. The first day.”
Snead, coach Sean McVay, chief operating officer Kevin Demoff and vice president Tony Pastoors were scheduled to conduct the draft from a sprawling Malibu home the Rams leased for a month.
On Tuesday, Snead and McVay were supposed to be present at the site for a pre-draft news conference, but they participated virtually because they came into contact with a person with COVID-19 the day before, according to McVay.
A pick-by-pick breakdown of the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, which opened with three quarterbacks being selected by the Jaguars, Jets and 49ers.
Snead said Thursday that the person was staff member but declined to say whether it was a coach.
McVay has tested negative, a Rams official said. Snead said his symptoms were not serious.
“There are people in this country and all over the world that have had a lot worse than me,” he said. “The good thing is nothing major yet, so we’ll cross our fingers there and treat it a little bit maybe like the flu.”
Snead said he received one vaccination shot and had been scheduled to get the second, but added that now will be delayed.
The L.A. Chargers addressed their most pressing roster need in the first round of the NFL draft, drafting Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.
“The fortunate thing, I do think, being let’s call it relatively deep into the first shot of vaccination is probably having a good chance of weathering this without major symptoms,” he said.
The Rams picks heading into the second and third rounds Friday: No. 57 in the second round, No. 88 and No. 103 in the third, 141 in the fourth, 209 in the sixth and 252 in the seventh.
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