Chris Williams's Short Arms Do Not Concern the Chicago Bears

The run-up to the NFL Draft is full of measurements. It seems like a trip to a tailor. Height, weight and a dozen other things that have nothing to do with how a player plays the game.

Take the length of arms of an offensive tackle, for example. You wouldn't want someone with T-Rex arms protecting your quarterback's blind side but, presumably, few top draft prospects fit that criteria. Chris Williams, Chicago's first-rounder, doesn't, although his arms are shorter than ideal, 34 inches is industry standard. Depending on who's doing the measuring and which arm you're measuring, he's either two or a half-inch below.

Since Williams's arms were measured on multiple occasions, it seems surprising that a team would be willing to overlook less than perfect measurements. Jerry Angelo suggests otherwise, though.

"A lot of times on tape a guy's arms look short, but they aren't short. Sometimes their arms measure short, but you don't see it in their play. In the case of Williams, he does not play like a short-armed tackle."

Obviously you'd like it if a player fits every criteria on your sheet but it rarely happens. You've got to think, though, that if a guy performs at a high level despite short arms, he's figured something out. It might not be enough to make him a NFL star, but if a guy isn't good enough to play, it's not going to be because his arms are a little shorter than ideal. It's because he isn't good enough to play.