While im not big on any qb this year, the hand size thing is grossly flawed… there is no correlation between hand size and fumbling… a solid hit on a football will dislodge it regardless of hand size ..
This is just another old metric that the nfl has used for decades with no real basis in its effectiveness…. Small hands can play a part in bad grip like small stature can lead to vision issues while making reads but it doesn’t necessarily correlate to it… you have to judge each case separately … too often a base metric becomes way too important in drafting guys or giving them a shot
Decastro had short arms, aaron Donald was just too short overall…
Yeah a metric can raise a red flag for further investigation but it should not be a reason to remove him from a draft board altogether.
This was the same knock on Burrows and its been a non issue there too…
Good point, but for Burrows, there is NFL precedent for QBs being successful with 9" hands. There are no pocket passers that were ever successful in the 8.5 range or smaller.
Also the official rules allow for a 1/2 inch variance in college football toward a smaller size:
The football used in NCAA contest can be slightly smaller than the Balls used in the NFL. The balls used in the NCAA also have 2 white stripes.
The NFL Rule :
The Ball must be a “Wilson,” hand selected, bearing the signature of the Commissioner
of the league,...
The ball shall be made up of an inflated (12 1/2 to 13 1/2 pounds) rubber bladder enclosed
in a pebble grained, leather case (natural tan color) without corrugations of any kind.
It shall have the form of a prolate spheroid and the size and weight shall be: long axis,
11 to 11 1/4 inches; long circumference, 28 to 28 1/2 inches; short circumference, 21
to 21 1/4 inches; weight, 14 to 15 ounces.
The NCAA Rule:
The ball shall meet the following specifications:
a. New or nearly new. (A nearly new ball is a ball that has not been altered and retains the properties and qualities of a new ball.)
b. Cover consisting of four panels of pebble-grained leather without corrugations other than seams.
c. One set of eight equally spaced lacings.
d. Natural tan color.
e. Two 1-inch white stripes that are three to three and one-quarter inches from the end of the ball and located only on the two panels adjacent to the laces.
f. Conforms to maximum and minimum dimensions and shape indicated in the accompanying diagram.
g. Inflated to the pressure of 12-1/2 to 13-1/2 pounds per square inch(psi).
h. Weight of 14 to 15 ounces. The short circumference is 20 3/4" to 21 1/4"
The long circumference is 27 3/4" to 28 1/2". The long axis is 10 7/8 to 11 7/16.
