As the NFL conquers the world, the draft combine has grown into a monster of its own. By one veteran's reckoning, an event that drew 50 reporters in 2003 now hands out 800 media credentials. (And yet, still, not a single important story will emerge. This is one of the unimportant ones.)


Stanford's Zach Ertz is the consensus top-rated tight end in the draft. He's been described as a "smooth athlete with good route quickness," "a willing blocker" with a "sturdy, well-built frame." He's "a dangerous weapon in the red zone." These are good things. He has tiny tyrannosaurus arms that dangle impotently from his torso, barely poking out from his short sleeves. That's a bad thing.

Ertz's arms were measured at 31 3/4", or about an inch-and-a-half shorter than most of the other top TE prospects. This might be trouble, surmise draft experts, because arms are useful things for catching footballs and blocking football players and the more arm you have, the better you presumably are at those things.


Regardless of how this plays out, we salute Zach Ertz in his quest to become the NFL's first baby-armed player.

2013 Combine: Short arms could be issue for Stanford TE Zach Ertz [CBS]