Does the Size of an NFL Receiver Prospect’s Hands Affect his Draft Stock?
Abstract
The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar industry with its work force containing some of the world’s best athletes. Over the past ten years, the NFL has seen an increase in the number of passes attempted and completed. As this continues to rise, so does the demand for a top tier wide receiver. The NFL Draft takes numerous measurements that are used to better determine the draft stocks of the top prospects coming out of college. When it comes to assessing a possible link between a specific measurement and the drafted position of an NFL wide receiver, I use an Ordinary Least Squares model of 291 observations where hand size is my key independent variable. The job of a receiver is simple on paper, catch the ball. With larger hands, this job may appear to be easier and give a receiver an absolute advantage of others thus getting him drafted above all other similar receivers with smaller hands. After conducting this study, my key variable came back to statistically insignificant at all conventional levels. After reading the results, it was determined that when evaluating a wide receiver prospect in the NFL hand size does not affect his draft position.
Does the Size of an NFL Receiver Prospect’s Hands Affect his Draft Stock?
The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar industry with its work force containing some of the world’s best athletes. Over the past ten years, the NFL has seen an increase in the number of passes attempted and completed. As this continues to rise, so does the demand for a top tier wide receiver. The NFL Draft takes numerous measurements that are used to better determine the draft stocks of the top prospects coming out of college. When it comes to assessing a possible link between a specific measurement and the drafted position of an NFL wide receiver, I use an Ordinary Least Squares model of 291 observations where hand size is my key independent variable. The job of a receiver is simple on paper, catch the ball. With larger hands, this job may appear to be easier and give a receiver an absolute advantage of others thus getting him drafted above all other similar receivers with smaller hands. After conducting this study, my key variable came back to statistically insignificant at all conventional levels. After reading the results, it was determined that when evaluating a wide receiver prospect in the NFL hand size does not affect his draft position.