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The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing and we have the official measurements of the offensive linemen and running backs.
The tape measure isn’t a great way of determining which players can, and which can’t, play football at the NFL level — their game film is the best for that. However NFL teams also have certain physical thresholds for specific positions. For instance, most teams usually like offensive linemen with long arms and big hands (though specifics will vary from team to team), and we know the New York Giants have an affinity for big hands on their receivers.
Many of these players were measured at either the East-West Shrine Game or the Senior Bowl, but measurements can change depending on who is doing them. The Combine measurements are considered to be the “Official” ones for the players in attendance.
Let’s take a look at which players helped themselves with their official measurements.
Offensive Linemen
- Antonio Garcia (OT, Troy) - Garcia’s was one of the most important weigh-ins of the combine, and if it’s possible to ace a weigh-in, he did. The biggest issue with Garcia was his weight after weighing in at 293 at the Senior Bowl. At the Combine weigh-ins he came in at 302 pounds (with 33 3/8-inch arms) and while still light, that is a weight he can play at in the NFL. [Prospect profile]
- Forrest Lamp (OL, Western Kentucky) - Lamp, a college left tackle, was pigeonholed as a guard after his arms measured just over 31 inches at the Senior Bowl. While he will still likely be drafted as a guard, his 32 1/4-inch combine measurement might put tackle back on the table for some teams, or at least the possibility of positional versatility.
- Julien Davenport (OT, Bucknell) - Davenport is a raw and somewhat unknown prospect from a small school. However, his size and athletic ability on tape has garnered some buzz from scouts. That buzz is going to continue after measuring 6-foot-7, 318, with 36 1⁄2-inch arms (the longest of his position group). [Prospect interview]
- Dorian Johnson (OG, Pittsburgh) - While Lamp and Indiana’s Dan Feeney are considered the top guards in the class, Pittsburgh’s Dorian Johnson has made a name for himself as well. And for teams that favor long arms in their linemen, he made a statement with 35-inch arms as well as his 6-5 frame.
Complete Offensive Linemen Measurements
Running Backs
- Leonard Fournette (LSU) - It’s impossible to not start with Fournette. Weighing in at an imposing 6-feet, 240 pounds, he is even thicker than scouts anticipated. If he can still turn the 4.4- second 40 times he reportedly recorded in training, that would give him the combine record for a running back over 240 pounds, and an incredibly impressive Speed Score. [Prospect profile]
Note: “Speed Score” is a metric for evaluating a players blend of size and speed. Bo Jackson has the all-time record, and former Giant Brandon Jacobs has one of the best scores.
- D’Onta Foreman (Texas) - After being listed in college at 250 pounds, scouts were relieved to see Foreman weigh in at 6-2, 233 pounds. He showed remarkably quick feet and acceleration (defined as the ability to change direction or speed) for a big back. Scouts will be interested to see if reducing his weight helps with his speed, agility, and explosiveness in drills. [Prospect profile]
- Alvin Kamara (Tennessee) - Most consider Kamara in the second tier of running backs after the Big 3 of Fournette, Dalvin Cook, and Christian McCaffrey. But for the speedy back from Tennessee to weigh in at 214 pounds will be reassuring for scouts. It could also give teams confidence that while Kamara did his best work on outside zone plays in college, he could still run between the tackles in the NFL.
- Corey Clement (Wisconsin) - If a team is looking for a “battering ram” at running back, Corey Clement could be a solid answer. At 5-10, 220 pounds, his compact, powerful frame compliments his hard-nosed running style. He runs fast on film, and he will have to back that up in workouts Friday, but he checked the boxes he needed to on weigh-ins. He only had 12 receptions last year, but he reportedly caught the ball well at the Senior Bowl, and his big 9 3⁄4-inch hands could give teams confidence in him as a receiver and with ball security.