Is Bigger Really Better? Top Undersized Prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft Class
The NFL falls in love with prototypical physical traits, at times to the league's detriment. Those who don't fit into teams' standard boxes have to fight an uphill battle to prove their football worth.
Generally speaking, those without ideal measurables play with giant chips on their shoulders, determined to prove everyone wrong.
Drew Brees, Russell Wilson, Antonio Brown, Aaron Donald and Tyrann Mathieu are counted among the league's best even though none were considered elite draft prospects because of their lack of size.
To quote the great prophet Yoda, "Size matters not," and the 2018 class features multiple top-shelf players, including a pair of potential top-10 picks come April 26, whose physical shortcomings won't supersede their on-field prowess.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
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Standing tall in the pocket doesn't literally mean a quarterback must be tall. It's about staying calm in the pocket despite the fact five 300-pound men are attempting to bury you.
Baker Mayfield's NFL future hinges on how his accuracy, precision and efficiency translate to the professional game. His height should be an afterthought.
Passing attacks have dramatically changed in the past 10 years. Dropping back from center and seeing over an offensive line isn't nearly as important as it once was.
Mayfield measured just over 6'0" tall at the Senior Bowl and combine after months of speculation. He has a slight edge over Wilson, who's listed at 5'11"
Of course, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner must find passing lanes to be effective, but this is true of most quarterbacks. Mayfield played behind an NFL-sized line at Oklahoma and completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 12,292 yards and 119 touchdowns during his three seasons in Norman.
The likely top-10 pick stands tall and delivers as the most accurate passer available in this year's draft class.
Running Back Nyheim Hines, North Carolina State
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Multiple NFL-caliber prospects played for the NC State Wolfpack last season, including defensive end Bradley Chubb, tight end Jaylen Samuels and defensive tackle B.J. Hill. As a result, running back Nyheim Hines has been overlooked during the draft process even though he led the team with 1,113 rushing yards.
Part of that is because of Hines' stature. At 5'8" and 198 pounds, he's counted among the smallest runners in this year's draft and is typecast as a third-down back. His size isn't a hindrance, though, because his speed and versatility offset it.
Hines finished first among running backs at the combine with a 4.38-second 40-yard dash. Furthermore, he carried the ball 197 times last season and ran for 12 touchdowns. Before 2017, the running back primarily served as a receiving threat, as he had 63 receptions for 781 yards. He isn't afraid to block, either.
Also, Hines averaged 11.3 yards per punt return and 22.3 yards per kick return as a junior.
NFL backfields are built upon rotations and maximizing skill sets. Hines can affect three different areas of the game as a runner, receiver and returner. His value in each phase outweighs his lack of size.
Wide Receiver Keke Coutee, Texas Tech
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Wide receiver skill sets vary more than any other position. Undersized targets are almost always projected as slot receivers even if their strengths don't run parallel with the position's requirements.
At 5'11" and 180 pounds with 4.43-second 40-yard-dash speed, Texas Tech's Key'vantanie "Keke" Coutee is an experienced slot receiver, but he's also a vertical option. He does struggle against physical corners. However, he creates chunk plays by running past most defensive backs.
A lack of size isn't the only stigma Coutee must overcome.
"They've always called us system receivers, but honestly, you don't hear that much anymore," he said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Kevin Casas. "It's a stereotype, but the reality is we know how to run routes there and we have an extended route tree, so you feel like you have enough experience to be able to handle the NFL playbooks and the complexity of those."
The speedy Coutee led Texas Tech with 93 receptions and 1,429 yards last year—which ranks second all-time in program history behind Michael Crabtree's 1,962-yard effort in 2007. Coutee also led the Big 12 with 1,759 all-purpose yards, since he doubled as the Red Raiders' kick returner.
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Offensive Tackle Connor Williams, Texas
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A 6'5", 298-pound offensive lineman shouldn't be construed as a small human being, but Connor Williams' size concerns are relative to expectations and position value.
He's angling to become the first offensive tackle selected in the 2018 draft. Yet he lacks the physical traits teams prefer in their blindside protectors.
The Texas product couples a sub-300-pound frame with subpar arm length at 33 inches. Comparatively, Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey, another first-round possibility, is 6'8" and 309 pounds with 34-inch arms. As a result, some teams project Williams as a guard, according to Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline.
"Wherever a team needs me, I'll be willing to play," Williams told Inside Texas' Joe Cook.
Whether the 20-year-old blocker plays tackle or guard doesn't matter as much as his outstanding athleticism. He had top-five combine performances among O-linemen in the 40-yard dash (5.05 seconds), vertical jump (34") and broad jump (9'4").
Williams' movement skills will keep him in the first-round conversation even though he's not the heaviest or longest offensive line prospect.
Defensive Tackle Maurice Hurst, Michigan
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Maurice Hurst has a specific set of skills. Skills he acquired over his four-year Michigan career. Skills that make him a nightmare for opposing offenses to block.
A tackle designation is far too general when discussing interior defenders. The position is split between and 3-techniques and 1- or 0-techniques (nose tackles).
At 6'2" and 292 pounds, Hurst is a tailor-made 3-technique, because his game is built upon fantastic first-step quickness and the ability to slip blocks and create backfield havoc. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer registered 26 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks the last two seasons.
"I always answer, a playmaker, someone who's going to be disruptive and someone who is going to be productive, and I really try to impact the game," the consensus All-American said when asked where he fits in the pros, per the Detroit News' Angelique Chengelis. "I think that's something that's going to translate well to the next level."
Hurst doesn't carry enough bulk to consistently take on blockers. Nor should he be asked to, because he's a penetrating interior defender worthy of top-20 consideration.
Defensive Tackle Hercules Mata'afa, Washington State
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Hercules Mata'afa is listed as an interior defender, because that's where he played at Washington State. He'll line up somewhere else as a pro, since he's only 254 pounds.
The consensus All-American, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year doesn't care where he plays, as long as he's getting after opposing quarterbacks.
"I am the most versatile pass-rusher in the draft. You can line me up anywhere to rush the passer," Mata'afa said at the combine, per Eagles Wire's Turron Davenport.
The native Hawaiian amassed 47 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks over the last three seasons. He likely projects as a defensive end in four-man fronts with the potential to play outside or even inside linebacker, depending on scheme. Also, a coordinator can slide Mata'afa up and down the defensive front looking for the best mismatches.
The interior won't be Mata'afa's home any longer. But he can visit every now and again while applying pressure from multiple angles.
Linebacker Shaquem Griffin, Central Florida
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As Shaquem Griffin said Thursday at UCF's pro day, per the Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi, "I have the entire nation behind me now."
Yes, he does.
The young man's journey is both captivating and inspiring. Of course, most will see Griffin's lack of a left hand, which he had amputated at four years old because of congenital birth condition, as his biggest obstacle. But he's already proved he can play at a high level with 33.5 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks over the last two seasons.
Where Griffin fits as a pro will be more concerning. The 2016 AAC Defensive Player of the Year lined up safety, linebacker and edge-rusher during his career. He's best suited as an outside linebacker who gets after the quarterback.
At 6'1" and 227 pounds, Griffin can be engulfed at the point of attack by much bigger offensive linemen, though. He compensates with 4.38-second 40-yard-dash speed and a relentless motor.
Some may view the lack of positional clarity as another reason not to spend an early-round pick on him, whereas a creative defensive coordinator should see a fast, productive performer who can be used in a variety of ways.
Cornerback Denzel Ward, Ohio State
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Long, physical cornerbacks have been in vogue since the Seattle Seahawks' Legion of Boom secondary became the template for multiple defensive schemes around the league. Ohio State's Denzel Ward doesn't fit that mold.
Ward's value comes from his ability to turn and run with any wide receiver.
"Sheer speed," Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer answered when asked what distinguished Ward from other cornerbacks, per NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala.
At 5'10" and 191 pounds, the defensive back's slight frame is a concern. Ward doesn't win with his jam at the line of scrimmage or when hounding receivers downfield. His game is built upon extreme lower-body fluidity and combine-leading 4.32-second 40-yard-dash speed.
The consensus All-American isn't afraid of contact, per se. He'll fly to the ball and deliver a blow. However, he won't be as physical as other defensive backs in the class.
Playing the position is built upon covering wide receivers and not allowing receptions. Ward is a projected top-10 prospect because no other cornerback is as smooth or smothering in coverage.
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