Wingspan isn't as useful as arm length in terms of determining how you'd 'punch'.

The distinction would be how much of it is made up by torso. If you have a broad torso but short arms, you may have an average wingspan but still have shorter arms. And the broad torso/shoulders won't help you when you're trying to reach and keep someone off you.

Again, I'm not saying he has 32.5 inch arms. That seems on the shorter side for someone with the remainder of his build. I'm just saying that if he does, it's worth a little concern. And when you look at someone like Thuney, it does happen that way sometimes.

I can't find a wingspan for Thuney as a comparison.

Interestingly, you look at someone like Trey Smith -- that's a broad damn dude. wingspan of 82 1/8 (so smaller than Jackson) and arm length of 33 3/4.

Quentin Nelson -- 82 5/8 and 33 3/4 respectively.

Someone like Leatherwood who's reach seemed to force him inside -- 84 5/5 and 33 7/8.

I mean you're not wrong -- the proportions don't seem to work out. I can't find anyone in the 83" wingspan range who's arms are shorter than 33.5 inches. I mean just trying to find arm lengths in the 32s is a struggle and brings me to guys like Joe Tippman and his 80 3/8 wingspan. Cody Mauch was 32 3/8 and 78 7/8.

Creed is at 32 1/2 w/ a 79 1/2 in wingspan.

I just can't find anything remotely comparable in trying to find a guy with a wingspan that long and arms that short. The proportions seem pretty much impossible. Even someone like Slater is at 80 1/8 and 33.

That 32.5 just seems wrong. That or he's just a damn strangely built guy -- but that would seem to run contrary to his relative effectiveness at the position over the last couple of years.

I'm more inclined to believe that the arm length measurement just isn't a good one and based on just about any other proportion I can find out there, if his wingspan is 83" (which would check out based on his height) then his arm length is likely to be in the 33.5-34 range.

I don't know if this is just a bad/lazy scouting report but w/r/t Jackson:

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/...ackson-OL-Iowa

Under strengths:

"Tall, reliable blocker with long arms, good agility and a solid initial punch. Knocks rushers off their route."

I mean I'd figure a 6'5" with 32 inch arms would kinda jump off the tape if you're putting a scouting report together, wouldn't it?

Yahoo profiled him as a priority UDFA and said: "Jackson has the size and length to play pretty much any position he wants. He’s 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms and a massive wingspan of 82 3/8 inches."

https://sports.yahoo.com/versatile-o...135823146.html

Meanwhile SI specifically cites his "underwhelming arm length..."

https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/news/alaricjackson

Ourlads says "Arm length is an issue:

https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/player/43776/

Man -- the **** if I know. But he played good football. And he's young.

Sign him if you can.

He’s started at tackle for two years. Who gives a crap what his arm length is? You have two seasons and a bunch of preseason games to see how he actually plays.

This is the key for me.

100% agree with holding it against a draft prospect where you’re trying to project how they’ll translate to the NFL.

I just can’t understand it being a major determining factor for a guy already in the NFL who is young and seemingly on an upward trajectory.

Here's the last stupid bit of internet sleuthing I'll attempt on the subject:

https://steelersdepot.com/2021/04/20...laric-jackson/

Steelers depot is actually usually a pretty decent source for information on the guys they've scouted. Moreover, Jonathan Heitritter is an Iowa based fitness guy who worked with Iowa's strength and conditioning program. He references it in the article and ALSO says that Jackson is at 33 7/8.

Gun to my head, I'm saying the 33 7/8 is right and the 32.5 is wrong. There's too much about it that just doesn't pass the sniff test and the sources for the longer arm length seem better to me.

Maybe he was “in the pool” the day he measured shorter.

Matters if you aren't sure how he'll translate from scheme to scheme.

I don't know the Rams pass pro scheme well enough to say with any confidence how much different theirs would be than ours. But if they're doing things designed to cover for that sort of weakness -- well, we've seen how reluctant Andy is to try that.

So if they're going to go into FA and spend real money, they're going to go for a guy like Robinson instead if they think they'd have to 'cover' for Jackson's arm length.

But again, it ain't like they won't have some way of figuring this sort of thing out. That's mostly what the legal tampering period is for at this point. And the tape is the tape.

If they sign him, I'm not gonna worry a bit about the arms because they aren't worried. If they DON'T sign him...well then who gives a shit? He probably sucks anyway.

His build is almost exactly like Dion Dawkins, sans the length. Probably doesn't have near the foot quickness either, but I do appreciate that he's a big ****er that would be hard to run through.

That’s fair.

If the Chiefs don’t sign him, he’s clearly a worthless piece of shit who belongs in prison.

This guy gets it...

I've got shrinkage! Draft me!

Yeah DL gonna be the best value at the end of rd 1 unless it pushes an offensive player down the board.

How many DL go rd 1? Maybe 8?

Abdul Carter
Mason Graham
Jalon Walker
Mike Green
Mykel Williams
Walter Nolen
Shemar Stewart

Nic Scourton or Derrick Harmon could have enormous value for us

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">From <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SportsCenter</a>: This years defensive line class is absolutely loaded—the best group overall since 2019. We could see 10 or more picked in the first round. <a href="https://t.co/cMcFxIhbv1">pic.twitter.com/cMcFxIhbv1</a></p>&mdash; Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jordan_Reid/status/1894032113877344354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

DL is a MONSTER group this year.

I think when we're on the board the pick will be pretty clear for us and it's gonna be a DL. There's a ton of talent and it's awfully deep at the position. Scourton is a guy that I keep coming back to but it seems 50/50 at best that he's there (and that 50/50 is probably optimistic).

I feel like the 2nd round DEs in this class are all better prospects than FAU was and the DT class is unreal.