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On Bryan Bulaga And Short Arm Syndrome

2012 NFL Combine: Riley Reiff Has Short Arms For Left Tackle - SBNation.com. For the first time in three years, there won't be a lot of speculation whether the Green Bay Packers will draft an offensive tackle. Iowa's Riley Reiff is generally considered the No. 2 offensive tackle available, he could be a Top 10 pick, and the Packers will make no effort to trade up for him. But because of his college team, and his short arms, he'll be compared to current Packer Bryan Bulaga.

I understand the appeal of finding a player with a giant wingspan who might make a good left tackle because he could use his long arms to get a hand on an outside speed rusher. But the reality is that it there doesn't seem to be a direct relationship to his performance on the field. "Short" arms haven't been a liability for Bulaga, although he's struggled at times (especially in his rookie season), it never seemed like those struggles would have been avoided if his arms were just a couple inches longer.

And I don't think many NFL talent evaluators are very concerned about it either. I haven't seen Reiff fall in any post-combine mock draft.