Throughout the pre-draft process, the futures of NFL prospects are sometimes determined by things they can’t control.
Organizations will judge prospects not solely on the production they showed in college or their performance in controlled workouts, but also on traits they were born with.
For defensive linemen like Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. or Clemson’s Peter Woods, the measurement scouts are most concerned with is their arm length. Bain and Woods are both talented enough to be in the first-round conversation, but each has drawn concerns about whether their short arms will hinder them in the NFL.
Since both players are potential targets for the New York Jets, you can be sure that the Jets are among the teams that will be watching Bain and Woods’ measurements the most closely this week.
While it is important to note that neither defensive lineman has been measured or tested just yet, their scouting reports open the debate about how vital arm length really is for defensive linemen.
How much does arm length matter?
The consensus among scouts on arm length concerns is simple: Defensive linemen with shorter arms will have a harder time getting off the blocks of offensive linemen at the NFL level.
Having to play close to the chest when operating pass-rush moves limits the potential they have to make a positive impact. Against the run, it’s harder for defensive linemen to shuck off blockers and disrupt a running back if they have a shorter reach.
These are the reasons why arm length is a legitimate concern at the NFL level.
It also doesn’t tell the whole picture.
There are plenty of elite players throughout NFL history who have fallen short of the coveted arm length benchmark of 33 inches, such as former Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald (32⅝”), seven-time Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs (32″), and Eagles Super Bowl hero Brandon Graham (32¼”). Recent second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson has recorded 43 sacks in 56 career games despite his 32⅛” arms.
Bain, one of the top prospects in the 2026 draft class, says that he hears about his arm length from everyone other than the NFL teams that speak with him.
“People keep bringing that up out of nowhere, but no teams brought it up to me, so I don’t bring it up either,” Bain said Wednesday. “As long as I just talk the talk and walk the walk, play with technique, nobody actually cares about it.”
Woods described a similar experience.
“It never really came up,” the Clemson product said when asked if teams had brought up those arm length concerns. “It’s easy to say my arms are short, but what’s on tape is on tape.
“I think one of the best things I do is getting control of a man, striking him, and discarding him. I really don’t see it as a problem.”
Jets’ defensive line outlook
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, general manager Darren Mougey explained that a player’s build will always play a role in how they fit into the Jets’ future plans.
Does that mean players like Bain and Woods won’t be high on the Jets’ board this year?
NFL teams typically do not use their combine meetings with players to discuss concerns about their metrics or measurables. The combine is used to build a connection with young athletes and see what makes them tick. Indianapolis offers an opportunity to gauge what kind of person each player is, rather than what they don’t have at their disposal.
So, while the Jets did not bring up arm length to Bain or Woods in person, that does not necessarily mean the topic will not be part of the Jets’ evaluations of those prospects.
That doesn’t mean that Gang Green won’t take Bain or Woods. It just means they might be more wary of the arm length concerns than they communicated to Bain and Woods themselves.
New York won’t be the only team debating whether using an early draft pick on a short-armed defensive lineman is in the organization’s best interest. Plenty of other teams in the top 16 picks will be debating it over the next few months.
It will be up to players like Bain and Woods, though, to show their character and tape transcend the limitations they were born with, proving they belong with talent-needy teams like the Jets.
