Packers wide receiver Ty Montgomery is a physical oddity in the NFL

Ty Montgomery is almost historically unique. He checked into the combine at six feet even, and 221 pounds, but Pro Football Reference lists him at a svelte 216. The only other NFL receivers since 1966 to be six feet tall or less but at least as heavy as Montgomery are the following: Josh Morgan, Tamarick Vanover, and Marcus Vick.

Only Vanover was drafted as highly as Montgomery, and superficially he's not a bad comp. Vanover was a dynamic kick and punt returner for the Chiefs, but saw limited action as a part of the offense and ultimately found himself out of the league when it was revealed he was part of an auto theft and drug trafficking ring involving former NFL running back Bam Morris.

Morgan was actually a bit taller and leaner than his measurables here (6'0, 218) seem to indicate, and was described as a "natural-looking receiver" at the time, while Montgomery is the polar opposite. Morgan was a supremely talented receiver who famously lacked a matching work ethic, and became a journeyman before exiting.

Marcus Vick is simply a criminal who was granted a brief NFL career based on nepotism.

Montgomery simply looks more like a muscle-bound tank than any of these players, and there's been no indication of any off the field trouble surrounding the Stanford grad.

If we give ourselves an additional inch of height to work with and expand the search to players with a maximum height of 6'1", things become much clearer. The fact is that players like Montgomery simply aren't drafted in the 3rd round or higher very often. Vanover was one of the few. Two others who were drafted, 6th-rounder Arnaz Battle and 4th-rounder Michael Robinson, were quarterbacks in college. Robinson would go on to become a decent fullback.

Of the remaining options we have Chris Harper, a former fourth-round draft pick of the Seahawks who actually spent time with the Packers, and who tipped the scales at 228 pounds. In the 3rd round, in addition to Montgomery and and Vanover we also have Cory Fleming, who was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 87th overall pick in 1994, and is now a proud member of the Arena League Hall of Fame. Neither made much of an impact in the NFL.

However, there's one guy left.

In the 2nd round of the 2003 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals took a wide receiver out of Florida State. He ran an outright slow 4.72 40 at the combine, but as a punishing force and route-runner extraordinaire, he's been nothing short of excellent. He was the Rookie of the Year, he's been to three Pro-Bowls, and he once led the league in receiving yards per game. Montgomery reminds me of this guy when he's out there, punishing DBs, running solid routes, and exploding after the catch.

Yes, the 6'1" 220-pound Anquan Boldin has done quite well for himself.

Of course, Ty Montgomery is faster, running his 40 at 4.55 seconds.

Here's the full list of wide receivers who have played in the NFL at a listed height of 6'1" or less and a weight of 216 pounds or more, along with a few relevant notes about each.

Phil Bates - undrafted
Arnaz Battle - 6th round, converted quarterback.
Anquan Boldin - 2nd round
Kenny Clark - UDFA
Cory Fleming, 3rd round, Dallas, Arena Football Hall of Fame
Benny Fowler - Undrafted
Chris Harper - 4th round, Seahawks, former Packer, 228 pounds.
Josh Harris ?
Junior Hemmingway, 7th
Chris Hogan, UDFA
Josh Morgan, 6th round
Michael Robinson - 4th round, eventual fullback, converted QB
OJ Small - ?
Tamarick Vanover - 3rd round
Marcus Vick - UDFA
Chastin West - Former PAcker, UDFA