Why Kyler Murray Can Dispel Myth About Short Qbs

[Phindog]

I heard were there has never been a QB drafted in the 1st round that is under 5' 10" and rumors of Murray being 5' 8" and 7/8's so lets say 5'9" makes a few GM's back off.

After reading this write up why height maybe a small concern if the player is as dynamic as Kyler Murray he may break new grounds that no other short QB has.
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sbnation

Why Kyler Murray can dispel a myth about short QBs

https://www.sbnation.com/2019/2/15/18224037/kyler-murray-height-short

So, you think Kyler Murray’s going to struggle in the NFL because he’s short?

Some people think so, based on Murray’s listed 5’10 frame. Being that short puts Murray at risk of having lots of passes batted down at the line of scrimmage, one thought goes. Or maybe he just won’t be able to see over the heads of his offensive linemen.

What happens if he gets drafted by, say, the Jaguars? He’ll see J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney twice a year. Both have 34-inch arms (long, even by NFL standards) and stand over 6’5.

But the fear about Murray’s height doesn’t square with the reality of his game or quarterbacking in general. Consider these numbers from 2018:



https://www.sbnation.com/2019/2/15/18224037/kyler-murray-height-short

 

[ckparrothead]

He's 5 foot, 9 and 7/8ths inches.

Not 5 foot, 8 and 7/8ths inches.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I don't necessarily subscribe to the theory that height corresponds in any way to having your passes batted at the LOS. Daniel Jeremiah's research there pretty much puts that myth to bed before it can even get started.

One of my issues with Tannehill when he was coming out of college that I noted in my "Ryan Tannehill - The Final Word" assessment was his tendency to get a troubling amount of his passes batted down at the LOS, which reared it's head from time to time in the NFL despite being 6'4". You have to understand defensive lineman are coached to get their hands up when they realize they can't get home on their rush. They're reading the QB's eyes or timing his drop and reacting to where he's looking.

I believe passes batted down correlates stronger to how fast your process is as a QB, rather than height. Tannehill doesn't have a fast process and always tended to stare down his first option and struggle to come off of it in a timely manner. The results could be anything from sacks in bunches to batted passes. Manipulating throwing lanes are typically something that shorter quarterbacks are better at because they have to be. Add in an ultra fast process where you create the maximum amount of space between yourself and the LOS in a minimal amount of time, and it becomes more of a challenge for defensive lineman to time their hands with your eyes and feet.

Most of all, it really only comes into play on certain quicker routes to certain areas of the field to begin with - drops 3 steps or less and routes breaking inward behind where the defensive lineman are. Murray already understands he has to either create space between himself and the LOS, or step up to find a crease while keeping his eyes downfield. It's an intuitive thing for most shorter QB's who have been short their entire lives. It's not taken for granted, which can be the case for taller QB's that have a poor understanding of how to maximize the pocket available.

 

[jlfin]

I actually think Doug Flutie would have had a nice career had there not been such a strong bias against short QBs in that era.