http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/47...-hand-size

 

This is an article that talks about QB hand size, height and a few other things in between.

 

At the end he talks about value in the draft and gives a basic formula he came up with to determine this 'value'.

 

I took a few minutes to use the formula (Hand Size/Height * 100) for the 2014 QB prospects I could find to see what the numbers showed.

 

For reference Russell Wilson scored a 14.44.

 

*Disclaimer - I am not trying to say this formula is any predictor of future success.  Take from this as you wish.

 

Logan Thomas - 13.94

Stephen Morris - 13.85

Johnny Manziel - 13.58

Keith Wennig - 13.32

Jeff Matthews - 13.32

A.J. McCarron 13.28

Tahj Boyd - 13.18

Connor Shaw - 12.84

Aaron Murray - 12.67

Zach Mettenberger/Tom Savage - 12.66

David Fales - 12.5

Teddy Bridgewater - 12.47

Derek Carr/Jimmy Garoppolo/Jordan Lynch - 12.33

Blake Bortles - 12.17

 

For some comparison let's take a look at the 2011 class.

 

Ryan Mallett - 13.96

Christian Ponder - 13.85

Blaine Gabbert - 13.15

Jake Locker/Andy Dalton - 12.83

Cam Newton - 12.82

Colin Kaepernick - 11.85

 

2012

 

Nick Foles - 13.79

Kirk Cousins - 13.16

Andrew Luck - 13.15

Robert Griffin III - 12.83

Brandon Weeden - 12.66

Brock Osweiler - 12.5

 

In the end the formula, in my humble opinion, doesn't mean much.

 

However the main reason I posted this is because I say QB height is vastly overrated.  I used to be of the opinion that hand size was overrated but now I'm not so sure.  In the scheme of things it makes sense and the article put it in a few ways I hadn't really considered.  Shorter QBs with huge hands (Johnny Manziel, Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Russell Wilson) have done well in the NFL.  Larger hands should lead to a QB being able to throw the ball more accurately.  They can grip the ball better, the ball is smaller in their hands and that makes sense to me.  

 

The article also mentions exceptions to the rule with guys like Mike Vick, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo and Daunte Culpepper with below average hand size that have found success.  These QBs are all either athletic or mobile in the pocket.  It raises the possibility that you either need to have a QB with above average hand size or above average pocket mobility in order to find success and accurately pass the football.  I'm not sure that I agree with that and haven't taken the time to find guys that break that rule to officially de-bunk it.    

 

Two things I took from this:

 

I am now officially on board the Johnny Manziel train.   :thumbsup:

 

and

 

The draft really needs to get here.

 

 

 

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