Tuesday morning in Mobile, Alabama saw the first full day of football activities at the 2019 Senior Bowl. As tradition holds, the day began with scouts and journalists packed into an auditorium, where NFL prospects walked onto a stage in their underwear, one by one. The height and weight measuring sets a baseline for NFL teams with specific size requirements on their rosters, but it’s only one facet of the pre-draft prospect profile.
As a whole, the height-weight-length measurements were strong across the board at this year’s weigh-in. Very few players emerged with disappointing measurements, with the exception of a few telegraphed before the event. The offensive line group was especially impressive - no Tyrannosaurus arms to be seen, and only one player outside the preferred 300-350 pound weight range across the two teams. The full list of player measurements can be seen here, courtesy of Optimum Scouting, but below we’ve listed the highlights and lowlights from Tuesday’s event.
Winner: Tyree Jackson, QB, Buffalo
It’s possible no player’s weigh-in impressed the NFL’s scouts as much as Jackson, who elicited hushed discussions when he stepped up to the measuring tape. Jackson stood a massive 6’7” and 249 pounds, and added ten-inch hands and 35-inch arms to his profile. The measurements were exactly as advertised, and helped explain how Jackson generates easy velocity on his throws.
Loser: Hunter Renfrow, WR, Clemson
It wouldn’t surprise anyone who’s watched Renfrow play for the Tigers over the last ten years, but the scrappy former walk-on measured up like a club football player instead of a future NFL starter. At 5’10”, 175 pounds, with 7 3⁄4 inch hands and 29-inch arms, Renfrow falls below many size thresholds, even for a slot receiver.
Winner: Donald Parham, TE, Stetson
Parham towered over his FCS foes en route to 148 catches, 2,024 yards, and 13 touchdowns in his last 25 career games, and the gargantuan hybrid TE-WR is the largest player appearing at the Senior Bowl. He measured 6 feet 8 3/8 inches and 243 pounds, along with vinelike 36.1-inch arms with 10.5-inch hands. All that’s left is to prove his receiving talent can stand up with the big boys in FBS.
Loser: Sutton Smith, OLB, Northern Illinois
An outstanding redshirt junior season earned Smith a late call-up to the Senior Bowl, but he might be a man without a position in the NFL. His best traits in college were his pass rushing quickness and moveset, but Smith measured six feet tall, 234 pounds, with arms less than 31 inches long. That makes him a long shot to deal with NFL offensive tackles.
Winner: Andre Dillard, OT, Washington State
Dillard’s quick feet earned him accolades in Mike Leach’s pass-heavy offense, and he’s hoping to push his stock into first round territory this week. Measuring a hair under six-foot-five, with 34-inch arms, and weighing 310 pounds, Dillard scraped by the size thresholds for NFL offensive tackles.
Loser: Isaiah Buggs, DL, Alabama
With Raekwon Davis returning to school and Quinnen Williams a redshirt sophomore, the Senior Bowl was a chance for Isaiah Buggs to stand out apart from his Crimson Tide teammates. The weigh-in was a poor start for the lineman. Listed at 6’5” 286 pounds, Buggs measured 6’2” 295, with sub-31 inch arms. Teams might’ve expected a player who could flex between defensive end and defensive tackle, but those measurements will pigeonhole him as an interior lineman only.
Winner: Charles Omenihu, DE, Texas
Any of a number of defensive ends could’ve earned this recognition, but Omenihu earns props for his outstanding length. At a shade under 6’6” and 274 pounds, he has the size 4-3 teams would look for at defensive end. He also recorded 36.5-inch arms, the longest of the event—which gives him a nearly 85-inch wingspan.