MORGANTOWN —The NFL scouting combine officially gets underway Friday, but in a way the weekend kicked off Thursday as this year’s prospects checked in with their height, weight and length measurements that are used as a key factor in the scouting process.
Offensive players were the first to get measured, including five former Mountaineers. Here is a look at how it turned out for offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste, quarterback Will Grier, tight end Trevon Wesco and wide receivers David Sills and Gary Jennings.
Will Grier
Height: 6-2 1/2
Weight: 217
Hands: 9 3/8 inches
Arms: 31 1/2
Wingspan: 75 1/8
How he measures up: Hand size matters for quarterbacks, who have to handle the ball on every play. That’s a concern for Grier, who actually has smaller hands than 5-foot-10 Kyler Murray.
It’s also no reason for panic should Grier perform well in actual football-related activities. Last year’s No. 1 pick, Baker Mayfield, only had 9 1/2-inch hands. The No. 3 overall pick, Sam Darnold, has the same hand size as Grier. No experts are projecting Grier to be picked anywhere near that neighborhood, but those two quarterbacks serve as proof that this disadvantage doesn’t have to weigh heavily against him.
Yodny Cajuste
Height: 6-4 7/8
Weight: 312 lbs.
Hands: 10 inches
Arms: 34 inches
Wingspan: 82 1/4 inches
How he measures up: As far as offensive linemen are concerned, arm length and weight are the most valuable pre-workout measureables. That bodes well for Cajuste. He is nearly identical to the first tackle off the board in last year’s draft, Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey. Despite giving up three inches in height to McGlinchey, Cajuste has the same arm length and three more pounds. McGlinchey was drafted ninth overall by San Francisco last year.
Gary Jennings
Height: 6-1
Weight: 214 lbs.
Hands: 9 5/8 inches
Arms: 32 1/2 inches
Wingspan: 78 1/8 inches
How he measures up: Size doesn’t matter at wide receiver nearly as much as speed and hands, as Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman recently demonstrated. Jennings certainly won’t be hurt by his measureables, though — despite being 6-foot-1, his wingspan and hand size indicate a Stretch Armstrong-like ability to snag passes that he has demonstrated plenty of times on the field.
David Sills
Height: 6-3 1/4
Weight: 211 lbs.
Hands: 9 inches
Arms: 32 inches
Wingspan: 75 5/8 inches
How he measures up: Sills is an interesting contrast to his own teammate, standing more than two inches taller than Jennings but possessing slightly shorter arm length. In general, the combine is an interesting proving ground for Sills, who figures to impress most scouts with the strength of his game film.
Trevon Wesco
Height: 6-3 1/2
Weight: 267
Hands: 9 1/2 inches
Arms: 34 3/4 inches
Wingspan: 81 1/2
How he measures up: Anyone who watched Wesco play this season may be stunned to discover he’s not at least 6-foot-5. But when you see his arm length and wing span, his ability to play so big adds up. Wesco has longer arm size than any tight end at last year’s combine.
Wesco also worked out as a fullback at the Senior Bowl, but his measurables show that he is long enough to stick at tight end in the NFL even if his listed height gives pause to some scouts.
