The arm length controversy stretches beyond Will Campbell
Should NFL teams trust the arm length measurements from the NFL Combine? Will Campbell’s pro day measurement is the latest sign that something might have been off in Indy.
By this point in the NFL Draft process, New England Patriots fans should be plenty familiar with ‘arm length’ talk. The general consensus is that players need at least 33-inch arms to succeed at tackle in the NFL, with players with shorter arms typically moving inside to guard. That has been relevant to the tackle-needy Patriots, with the top tackle in this draft – Will Campbell – projected to be right around that number coming into the process.
At the NFL Combine Campbell measured in for the first time and came in under that 33-inch number at 32 5/8 inches. However, remeasuring at his pro day (with an NFL official taking the measurement) he checked in right at the 33-inch number.
That second measurement will likely restart the conversation about Campbell playing guard or tackle and how the Patriots should view him in relation to the fourth overall pick. However, that shouldn’t be the only takeaway from the second measurement.
The Combine number stood for Campbell until this point because there was nothing to compare it to. For players who participated in one of the pre-draft showcase games – mainly the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl – there was another number. And across the board, there’s a significant gap between that number and the number from the Combine (in fact, the difference for Campbell is on the smaller side compared to some of his peers).
That’s not to say that the Combine and showcase games always match up – they don’t. But it’s usually a difference of an eighth of an inch or two in either direction. Looking at top linemen (tackles, guards, and centers) from both games this year, the differences are bigger and are off in the same direction. This is something observers started making note of well before Campbell’s second measurement in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.
So the question is, which numbers are correct the Combine or the showcases? For it to be the showcases, the separate games – run by separate people – would have to coincidentally miss by or collude to have missed by the same amount (and keep in mind the two didn’t seem to have a healthy working relationship last year). They would then have to get all of the pro day directors on board.
Plus Campbell’s wingspan, which is a separate measurement, shrunk by half of an inch at his Pro Day. If the goal was just to increase his arm length to help his draft stock, why would they only do so for one measurement and leave another unchanged? And again, this was measured by a league official. Why would the league increase Campbell’s number at his pro day, but not the Combine?
This really isn’t about hyping up Campbell, it’s more pointing out a potential mistakes by the NFL that could have implications up and down the draft board. While most of the talk regarding arm length has been about Campbell, other players could be looked at differently depending on which measurements are used.
Of the players we looked at Marcus Mbow – who played right tackle at Purdue – had the biggest gap. The full inch is the difference from him being a potential tackle or an outright guard. Other players like Aireontae Ersery from Minnesota – a projected top 50 pick at left tackle who is reportedly meeting with the Patriots – were pushed down into the fringe range. Ozzy Trapilo from Boston College and Xavier Truss from Georgia also fall into that category (although Truss may end up playing guard for other reasons).
Ultimately, it should come down to whether or not these players can play, and what they show on tape. But given how everything is scrutinized to the smallest detail in the NFL Draft (football is a ‘game of inches’ after all), incorrect measurements could cost kids draft positioning.
What does this mean? As the pre-draft process rolls on, teams will have to decide which measurements they want to use and/or get their own measurements by hosting players for visits. The Patriots already have had or set up meetings with Campbell, Ersery, and other top tackles in this draft.
Arm length wasn’t the only measurement from the Combine that raised eyebrows. Quarterback Jalen Milroe had his hands grow from 8 3/4-inches at the Senior Bowl to 9 3/8 a few weeks later in Indy.
