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CHICAGO - Every NFL draft prospect performs the equivalent of a striptease that lasts for months and months. And often, the more they show the less attractive they become.
Late in the draft process some teams developed concerns about Chris Williams, the Bears' first-round pick, because his arms aren't quite as long as the ideal. Arm length is important for offensive tackles because an inch in reach can be the difference between a sack and a block.
How long are Williams' arms? Well, it depends who did the measuring. At the Senior Bowl, he was measured at 32 <SUP>7</SUP>/<SUB>8</SUB>ths inches. At the Combine, he was measured at 33<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>2</SUB> inches. The Bears measured him at 33 inches.
The way Bears general manager Jerry Angelo sees it, 32-inch arms are short, 33-inch arms are acceptable, and 34-inch arms are ideal.
"A lot of times on tape a guy's arms look short but they aren't short," Angelo says. "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."
Data on arm length was available for 63 NFL offensive tackles who started a majority of games last season. On average, the arm length of tackles was 33 15/16th inches.
Only three players who started had arms shorter than 32 inches. Nick Kaczur of the Patriots has 31<SUP>7</SUP>/<SUB>8</SUB>th-inch arms. Sean Locklear of the Seahawks had 31<SUP>3</SUP>/<SUB>8</SUB>th-inch arms. And Shane Olivea, formerly of the Chargers, has 30<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>2</SUB>-inch arms.
It's one thing for a seventh-round pick like Olivea to have short arms. It's another for a first-round pick like Williams to have short arms. There were 24 tackles at the Combine whose arms measured longer than those of Williams.
Of the eight tackles chosen in the first round, the only other player who might have trouble getting the lint out of his pants pockets is Sam Baker, who the Falcons chose 21st. Baker's arms measured 32<SUP>3</SUP>/<SUB>4</SUB> inches.
The Falcons, like the Bears, say they are unconcerned about their first-rounder's arm length.
"If you can slide easily and redirect, then you usually can make up for one or two inches in arm length," Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff says.
One of the reasons Ryan Clady was chosen with the 12th pick - ahead of Williams - is his knuckles almost could scrape the ground because of his 36<SUP>3</SUP>/<SUB>4</SUB>-inch arms.
Williams may or may not become a nightmare for NFL defensive ends, but he probably already is one for his tailor. One team measured Williams' right arm at 33<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>2</SUB> inches and his left at 31<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>4</SUB> inches.
