The East-West Shrine Bowl took its measurements today, giving us 630 data points on 126 players. Let’s go position-by-position, breaking down what can be taken away from the scale and measuring tape day from a Green Bay Packers perspective.
I’m going to reference a Size Score to rank players, which is really just the combined Z-scores of the five measurements taken: height, weight, hand size, arm length and wingspan. NFL scouts list height in a four-digit number, with the first being feet, the next two being inches and the final digits being eighths of an inch. We’ll be referencing heights as such throughout this article (it’s just so much easier than fractions).
For example, 5114 would mean that a player is 5’11.5”. 6012 would mean they’re 6’1.25”.
Every player who is currently given a draftable grade on the consensus draft board will be noted with their number in parentheses in their size score ranking. Here is the full document with the official measurements, including our conversions into inches and our Size Scores, if you just want to look at that yourself. Be warned, it’s a lot of numbers.
Quarterbacks
Size scores:
- Mark Gronowski, Iowa: 1.4
- Kyron Drones, Virginia Tech: 0.9
- Joe Fagnano, UConn: -0.8
- Cade Klubnick (#161), Clemson: -1.9
- Haynes King, Georgia Tech: -2.4
- Jalon Daniels, Kansas: -2.6
- Behren Morton, Texas Tech: -2.7
- Miller Moss, Louisville: -4.1
The two big measurements that teams like to pay attention to at the position are whether a quarterback is over 6’2” or not and whether they have 9” hands. Among the Shrine Bowl quarterbacks, the only passers over 6’2”-flat were Gronowski (6022), Fagnano (6026) and King (6021). All but King (8 7/8”) hit the 9” hand mark.
Klubnik, the expected draft pick on the roster, measured in at 6017 and 206 pounds with 9 3/8” hands. Gronowski, who has some ties to the Packers, weighed in at 233 pounds with the biggest hands by far at 10 1/4”.
Running Backs
Size scores:
- CJ Donaldson (#242), Ohio State: -0.3
- Chip Trayanum, Toledo: -2.7
- Eli Heidenreich, Navy: -5.3
- Dean Connors, Houston: -5.6
- Robert Henry (#250), UTSA: -5.9
- Demond Claiborne (#136), Wake Forest: -6.8
We talked about it in our Shrine Bowl preview, but the Packers really like to have bigger backs under head coach Matt LaFleur. As expected, Donaldson (6014, 234) fits that mold. Unfortunately, Henry (5090, 197) and Claiborne (5092, 187) fell short of the mark, though. It appears that Roman Hemby of Indiana (#197) did not report to the event.
Receivers
Size scores:
- Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati: 1.0
- Noah Thomas (#196), Georgia: 0.9
- J.Michael Sturdivant, Florida: 0.2
- Colbie Young, Georgia: 0.0
- Chase Roberts, BYU: -0.3
- Skyler Bell (#88), UConn: -2.1
- Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word: -2.4
- Dillon Bell, Georgia: -3.1
- Malik Benson, Oregon: -3.2
- Emmanuel Henderson, Kansas: -4.5
- Zavion Thomas, LSU: -5.8
- Eric Rivers (#178), Georgia Tech: -6.4
- Michael Wortham, Montana: -7.4
- Kaden Wetjen, Iowa: -8.1
Mississippi receiver De’Zhaun Stribling (#186) appears not to have reported to Frisco, leaving Thomas, Bell and Rivers as the receivers with draftable grades on the consensus board at the event.
As far as the Packers go, Thomas very much looks like a LaFleur-era receiver, while Bell and Rivers don’t. Thomas measured in an eight-inch shorter (6045) than the tallest receiver at the Shrine Bowl, Cincinnati’s Jeff Caldwell (6046), and also weighed in at 200 pounds.
Meanwhile, Bell came in 5112 and 187 pounds (but had 10” hands) and Rivers was sub-5’10” (5096) and 179 pounds. Overall, the smallest player at the entire event is Wetjen, who was measured at 5086 and 195 pounds with 8.5” hands and a 72” wingspan.
Tight Ends
Size scores:
- Eli Raridon (#135), Notre Dame: 3.9
- Dallen Bentley (#145), Utah: 1.9
- Seydou Traore, Mississippi State: 1.8
- Lake McRee (#209) USC: 1.1
- Lance Mason, Wisconsin: 1.1
- Bauer Sharp, LSU: 0.6
- Max Bredeson, Michigan: -1.5
- Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma: -2.3
- Riley Nowakowski (#256), Indiana: -2.5
For the most part, the tight ends were as advertised. Texas tight end Jack Endries didn’t make the weigh-ins, but he did participate in practice today. He is one of the better prospects at this event, ranked 106th on the consensus board.
Yes, Indiana’s Nowakowski is small, but I only threw him in here because I view fullbacks pretty similarly to tight ends overall (and the NFL does too, based on how they line up players officially listed at either position). I wouldn’t make too much of Nowakowski coming in at 6020, 239 pounds. He did have smaller than 8.5” hands, though, which might hurt him. Overall, his hands were tied for the third-smallest out of the 126 players measured for the event.
Offensive Linemen
Size scores:
- Micah Pettus, Florida State: 8.6
- Josh Braun (#175), Kentucky: 8.3
- Nolan Rucci, Penn State: 7.5
- Aamil Wagner (#176), Notre Dame: 7.3
- Ar’maj Reed-Adams (#142), Texas A&M: 7.0
- Fa’alili Fa’amoe (#168), Wake Forest: 6.6
- Diego Pounds (#247), Mississippi: 6.5
- Micah Morris, Georgia: 6.3
- Jaeden Roberts (#148), Alabama: 6.0
- DJ Campbell (#151), Texas: 5.9
- Joe Cooper, Slippery Rock: 5.7
- Garrett DiGiorgio, UCLA: 5.5
- James Neal, Iowa State: 5.4
- Giovanni El-Hadi, Michigan: 5.1
- Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma: 4.6
- Jager Burton, Kentucky: 4.6
- Dillon Wade, Auburn: 4.0
- Riley Mahlman, Wisconsin: 3.9
- Jayden Williams, Mississippi: 3.6
- Brian Parker (#80), Duke: 3.3
- Caden Barnett, Wyoming: 3.2
- Evan Beerntsen, Northwestern: 1.8
- Pete Nygra, Louisville: 1.4
The draft-caliber linemen mostly measured among the top players at the position. The largest lineman, though, is projected free agent Pettus, who was listed at 6064, 346 pounds and had an 85” wingspan.
The smallest draftable lineman might also be the top player of the game, Duke’s Brian Parker, who played right tackle in college but is expected to move to center, and could be the top prospect there this cycle. Parker said yesterday that he will spend all week practicing at center, as his lack of length wasn’t exactly a secret. Despite being measured at 6046 and 306 pounds, he has sub 32.25” arms. No other draftable lineman in this game has arms under 33.5”.
Indiana center Pat Coogan (#140) appears to have dropped out of the event.
The Packers like to take 320-pounders on the line now. That works in favor of Roberts (335), Braun (333), Pounds (332) and Campbell (321) but not Fa’amoe (311), Parker (306 – might be an exception because of center) and Wagner (302). Reed-Adams (317) is really a borderline case.
Interior Defensive Linemen
Size Scores:
- Darrell Jackson (#99), Florida State: 10.0
- DeMonte Capehart (#134), Clemson: 6.3
- Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M: 5.5
- Aaron Hall, Duke: 4.5
- Gary Smith (#255), UCLA: 3.1
- James Thompson, Illinois: 2.8
- Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana: 1.4
- Albert Regis (#181), Texas A&M: 1.2
- David Gusta, Kentucky: 1.1
- Jackie Marshall, Baylor: 1.0
- Brandon Cleveland, NC State: 1.0
- Landon Robinson (#252), Navy: -1.2
- Donay Corleone (#91), Cincinnati: N/A
The largest overall player at the event is Jackson, who measured in at 6051 and 328 pounds with 11” hands and an 86” wingspan. Both his hands and wingspan were the largest of anyone at the Shrine Bowl, despite there being 12 players taller than him, including two legit 6’8” players (OL Nolan Rucci of Penn State and Riley Mahlman of Wisconsin).
Capehart (6046, 314) and Smith (6011, 328) also measured in at nose tackle size, while Regis (6012, 308) measured in about 10 pounds below expectation. Robinson (5112, 291) was known to be small coming in.
Apparently, Cincinnati’s Corleone, expected to be a third-round pick, was measured in for everything but his weight. That’s…interesting. Corleone was listed by the Bearcats at 335 pounds and was expected to be around that range.
Edge Defenders
Size Scores:
- Anthony Lucas (#119), USC: 6.1
- Ethan Burke, Texas: 6.0
- Patrick Payton (#154), Florida State: 4.3
- Mason Reiger, Wisconsin: 3.5
- Malachi Lawrence (#111), UCF: 2.7
- Marvin Jones, Oklahoma: 2.2
- Wesley Williams, Duke: 1.3
- Keyshawn James-Newby, New Mexico: 1.0
- Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern: 0.8
- Bryan Thomas, South Carolina: -1.5
Lucas (6046, 267), Payton (6045, 251) and Lawrence (6040, 247) certainly have the frames of NFL draft picks. It probably helps Lucas that he came in under the 285-pound mark that USC listed him at, honestly.
For what it’s worth, Tyreak Sapp (#129) of Florida got a late invite to the Senior Bowl and will not be participating at the Shrine Bowl.
Linebackers
Size Scores:
- Eric Gentry (#187), USC: 7.6
- Jaden Dugger, Louisiana: 5.5
- Lander Barton (#125), Utah: 1.5
- Red Murdock, Buffalo: 0.0
- Karson Sharar, Iowa: -0.7
- Jackson Kuwatch, Miami (OH): -1.4
- Declan Williams, Incarnate Word: -1.6
- West Weeks, LSU: -2.2
- Harold Perkins (#87), LSU: -3.2
- Caden Fordham, NC State: -3.8
- Taurean York (#108), Texas A&M: -4.7
Two of these players are not like the others. USC’s Gentry is a 6063, 221-pounder with 10.5” hands and an 85.6” wingspan. He’s truly built like a basketball player. While he drew a lot of the attention today, Louisiana’s Dugger (6045, 240) also has an 84.6” wingspan. For reference, no other linebackers on this list cracked 80”. Go look up pictures of them. Built different.
Both Perkins (6003, 222) and York (5104, 232) measured in on the smaller size of things, but Barton (6037, 233) checked the box today. Cincinnati’s Jake Golday (#61) apparently did not attend the event after accepting his invitation.
Cornerbacks
Size Scores:
- Devonta Smith, Notre Dame: -3.0
- Marcus Allen, North Carolina: -3.1
- Andre Fuller, Toledo: -3.6
- Domani Jackson (#128), Alabama: -4.1
- Ceyair Wright, Nebraska: -4.5
- Devon Marshall (#190), NC State: -5.2
- Jaylon Guilbeau, Texas: -5.2
- Jarod Washington, South Carolina State: -5.2
- Harvey Ahmari, Georgia Tech: -5.3
- Jadon Canady, Oregon: -5.6
- Tyreek Chappell, Texas A&M: -6.2
- Austin Brent, California: -7.0
- Avery Smith, Toledo: -8.0
There is no freakazoid cornerback on this list (no one even measured 6’1”-flat), but there is some good news for Packers fans: Jackson (6005, 192) and Marshall (5103, 197) had solid measurements today. Green Bay likes to have its CBs measure in at 5’10”+ and 185+ (the absolute minimums). There was some concern that Marshall would fall below the 5’10” line, but he checked that box today.
The following cornerbacks weighed in under 190, which is usually a no-go for the Packers: Allen, Wright, Guilbeau, Washington, Ahmari, Canady, Chappell and Brent.
Safeties
Size Scores:
- Cole Wisniewski (#172), Texas Tech: -0.9
- Miles Scott, Illinois: -1.7
- Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama: -2.0
- Austin Brown, Wisconsin: -2.1
- Jalen Huskey, Maryland: -2.2
- DQ Smith, South Carolina: -3.6
- Bishop Fitzgerald (#156), USC: -4.0
- Dalton Johnson, Arizona: -4.3
- Myles Rowser, Arizona State: -4.7
- Louis Moore (#123), Indiana: -4.7
- Ahmaad Moses, SMU: -6.1
Wisniewski (6033, 214) and his size score would have been bigger than half of the linebackers at the Shrine Bowl. The Sparta, Wisconsin, native is pretty massive for a safety, even at the NFL level. The former FCS All-American transferred from North Dakota State to Texas Tech after having to sit out a year with an injury.
Neither Fitzgerald (5107, 205) nor Moore (5105, 191) has measurements that you’d write home about, one way or another.
