Jake Fromm's Hand Size Should Not Affect His NFL Draft Stock
Every year the nation's top NFL Prospects make their way to Indianapolis, Indiana to undergo the biggest job application process of their lives. Weigh-ins, measurements, cattle walks, workouts, and interviews await.
That process, of course, begins with the measurables portion of the week. Jake Fromm's revealed that he's got the modern-day NFL build, at 6'1 7/8" and just a penny shy of 220 pounds, but there's one glaring concern.
Yes, his hand size. At 8 7/8", he has the smallest hands of any quarterback at the combine. But it's not exactly career shattering news. Here's why:
The theory behind large hands being a requirement is based on the idea that when the weather gets tough, smaller hands increase the chances of fumbling the football or having an insufficient grip on the ball. However, Steven Ruiz of USAToday's For The Win did an excellent case study debunking such a theory.
In the article he cross-references NFL quarterbacks with their hand size and propensity to fumble the football, only to find little to zero correlation. As for whether or not cold weather is a factor for small-handed quarterbacks, Ruiz's data shows there's no correlation their either.
Most Georgia fans will recall the two rain games that the Bulldogs played in this season, the worst of which was the Kentucky contest.
Fromm went 9/12 for 35 yards in that contest, during the same rainstorm that blew through Washington just two days later as the Redskins took on the 49ers.
QB, Jake Fromm
In that contest, Case Keenum went 9/12 for 77 yards. He has 9.13" hands. Jimmy Garropollo went 12/21 for 151 yards and an interception. He has 9.25" hands.
The old school narrative of needing a 6'5", stand in the pocket, prototypical 1990's quarterbacking cliché body type has died off. So why hasn't this ignoramus idea that small hands equate turnovers or bad play?
Here are the fumbling stats and hand sizes for the top QBs in this year's NFL Draft:
| QB | Handsize | Games Played | Fumbles |
|---|---|---|---|
Jake Fromm | 8 7/8" | 43 | 11 |
Joe Burrow | 9" | 39 | 11 |
Tua Tagovailoa | 10" | 33 | 5 |
Justin Herbet | 10" | 44 | 12 |
Jacob Eason | 9 4/8" | 32 | 7 |
Jordan Love | 10 4/8" | 38 | 12 |
Here's the thing. The NFL general managers and scouts that happen to fall in love with Jake Fromm would never have done so because his hands are enormous. And quite frankly, I don't think they will be running for the foothills now that the "news" has broken that he has small hands.
The scouts that love Fromm will do so because of his decision making, accuracy and ability to lead a franchise. Not for some physical measurement, especially one that clearly doesn't matter.
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