Jared Goff Comments on Potential Impact, Fumbles, More at 2016 NFL Combine

Despite some expressing concern over his hands measuring at nine inches, former Cal quarterback Jared Goff seemed confused at the implication his hands may be too small to make the NFL transition. 

“I just heard about that yesterday,” Goff said Thursday, per Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk. “I’ve been told I have pretty big hands all my life. I’ve never had a problem with that.”

Hand size, while seemingly silly from an outsider's perspective, is actually an important tool in assessing a quarterback's physical readiness. The size of a player's hands can affect the tightness of his grip, making him more or less likely to fumble. This also carries over into inclement weather situations, where a bigger hand can provide a steadier handle.

"It matters because we play in a division where all of a sudden there's rain, there's snow and it's different. I think guys that have big hands can grip the ball better in those environmental situations," Browns coach Hue Jackson said, per Chase Goodbread of NFL.com.

Goff's hands are a full inch smaller than North Dakota State's Carson Wentz, who has supplanted the Cal product on some big boards as the draft's top quarterback. Even though it's a small factor, Wentz winning the hand battle is yet another leg up for the draft's fastest-rising name.

Goff will now have to contend with even more questions about his size, which was the biggest knock on him coming out of school. While his height (6'4") is more than adequate, his thin frame (215 pounds) will need to be improved upon to avoid injuries at the next level. His hands are also going to bring his fumble problems back to the forefront, something Goff attempted to address Thursday, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com:

As for his on-field bona fides, Goff's numbers are indisputable. He threw for 12,195 yards and 96 touchdowns against 30 interceptions in three years in Berkeley, making a marked improvement each season. In 2015, he threw for 4,719 yards and 43 touchdowns against 13 interceptions on his way to earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

"I will improve a team the day that I get there," Goff said, per Turron Davenport of the Eagles Wire.

As for which teams may get improved by Goff's presence, the Browns at No. 2 and Dallas Cowboys at No. 4 are the likeliest to target a quarterback early. If Dallas chooses to not bring in Tony Romo's heir apparent now, either Goff or Wentz is in danger of falling to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 7 or even out of the top 10 entirely.

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