More Sizing Up: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers
In all positions, size does matter to at least some degree. Obviously talent is critical but without the size to play in the NFL – does it really matter how fast a player is or how well he can pass the ball? The intent of these positional reviews is to arm yourself with the conventional wisdom about fantasy positions and typically what is successful. There are always exceptions to every rule, but it is nice to know the rule in the first place. There is a surprising amount of consistency in the measureables of star players.
| # | Team | 2012 Top Ten | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NO | Drew Brees | 6’0″ | 209 | 34 | 12 |
| 2 | GB | Aaron Rodgers | 6’2″ | 225 | 30 | 8 |
| 3 | NE | Tom Brady | 6’4″ | 225 | 36 | 13 |
| 4 | CAR | Cam Newton | 6’5″ | 245 | 24 | 3 |
| 5 | ATL | Matt Ryan | 6’4″ | 220 | 28 | 5 |
| 6 | DEN | Peyton Manning | 6’5″ | 230 | 37 | 15 |
| 7 | DAL | Tony Romo | 6’2″ | 230 | 33 | 9 |
| 8 | IND | Andrew Luck | 6’4″ | 234 | 24 | 1 |
| 9 | DET | Matthew Stafford | 6’3″ | 232 | 25 | 4 |
| 10 | WAS | Robert Griffin III | 6’2″ | 217 | 23 | 1 |
| Top 10 Average | 6’3″ | 227 | 29 | 7 | ||
Height – Not a lot of variation since the taller players are preferred but Drew Brees not only is an exception, but he comes in rated #1 from last year. Typically the runners in the crowd tend to be shorter though Cam Newton ruins that absolute.
Weight – The height and weight averages are nearly the exact same as they were 5 years ago (6-4, 226). Almost all tend to fall between 220 and 235 pounds. Weight correlates to height of course.
Age – The average age is tending lower thanks to Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin Jr. Usually the average is around 30 to 31 years old. We are nearing the changing of the guard since Brees, Brady and Manning have been constant top ten quarterbacks but are sure to be stepping aside within the next few years. With four quarterbacks are still only 25 or less. There is almost always five guys over 30 and five under 30. No magic age here.
Rookies
| Drafted | Team | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.16 | BUF | Manuel, EJ | 6’5″ | 237 | 23 |
| 2.07 | NYJ | Smith, Geno | 6’2″ | 218 | 22 |
| 3.11 | TB | Glennon, Mike | 6’7″ | 225 | 23 |
| 4.01 | PHI | Barkley, Matt | 6’2″ | 227 | 23 |
| 4.13 | NYG | Nassib, Ryan | 6’2″ | 227 | 23 |
| 4.15 | OAK | Wilson, Tyler | 6’2″ | 215 | 24 |
| 4.18 | PIT | Jones, Landry | 6’4″ | 225 | 24 |
| 7.15 | SD | Sorensen, Brad | 6’4″ | 229 | 23 |
| 7.28 | DEN | Dysert, Zac | 6’3″ | 231 | 23 |
| 7.31 | SF | Daniels, B.J. | 6’0″ | 217 | 24 |
| 7.43 | ATL | Renfree, Sean | 6’3″ | 219 | 23 |
The top drafted quarterbacks are really not that tall considering the prototype but Mike Glennon’s 6’7″ could make him the tallest NFL starter if he ever gets past Josh Freeman. Rookie quarterbacks tend to be slightly lighter than older players not unlike you probably not the same size as when you were 23. Interesting too that the quarterback position in college is not something that players just jump into and then bolt in their junior year for the NFL. Most of them red-shirted or at least played a full college career.
2013 Possible Starters
| Team | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. | Team | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Age | Exp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | Carson Palmer | 6’5″ | 235 | 34 | 10 | MIN | Christian Ponder | 6’2″ | 229 | 25 | 2 |
| ATL | Matt Ryan | 6’4″ | 220 | 28 | 5 | NE | Tom Brady | 6’4″ | 225 | 36 | 13 |
| BAL | Joe Flacco | 6’6″ | 245 | 28 | 5 | NO | Drew Brees | 6’0″ | 209 | 34 | 12 |
| BUF | Kevin Kolb | 6’3″ | 218 | 29 | 6 | NYG | Eli Manning | 6’4″ | 218 | 32 | 9 |
| BUF | E.J. Manuel | 6’4″ | 237 | 23 | 0 | NYJ | Mark Sanchez | 6’2″ | 225 | 27 | 5 |
| CAR | Cam Newton | 6’5″ | 245 | 24 | 3 | NYJ | Smith, Geno | 6’2″ | 218 | 22 | 0 |
| CHI | Jay Cutler | 6’3″ | 220 | 30 | 7 | OAK | Matt Flynn | 6’2″ | 225 | 28 | 5 |
| CIN | Andy Dalton | 6’2″ | 220 | 26 | 2 | PHI | Nick Foles | 6’6″ | 243 | 24 | 1 |
| CLE | Brandon Weeden | 6’3″ | 220 | 30 | 2 | PHI | Michael Vick | 6’0″ | 215 | 33 | 11 |
| DAL | Tony Romo | 6’2″ | 230 | 33 | 9 | PIT | Ben Roethlisberger | 6’5″ | 241 | 31 | 9 |
| DEN | Peyton Manning | 6’5″ | 230 | 37 | 15 | SD | Philip Rivers | 6’5″ | 228 | 32 | 9 |
| DET | Matthew Stafford | 6’3″ | 232 | 25 | 4 | SEA | Russell Wilson | 5’11” | 206 | 25 | 1 |
| GB | Aaron Rodgers | 6’2″ | 225 | 30 | 8 | SF | Colin Kaepernick | 6’4″ | 230 | 26 | 3 |
| HOU | Matt Schaub | 6’5″ | 239 | 32 | 9 | STL | Sam Bradford | 6’4″ | 224 | 26 | 3 |
| IND | Andrew Luck | 6’4″ | 234 | 24 | 1 | TB | Josh Freeman | 6’6″ | 240 | 25 | 4 |
| JAC | Blaine Gabbert | 6’4″ | 235 | 24 | 3 | TEN | Jake Locker | 6’3″ | 234 | 25 | 2 |
| KC | Alex Smith | 6’4″ | 217 | 29 | 8 | WAS | Robert Griffin III | 6’2″ | 217 | 23 | 1 |
| MIA | Ryan Tannehill | 6’4″ | 222 | 25 | 1 | ||||||
Quarterbacks Sorted
| Height | Weight | Age | Experience | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Flacco | 6’6″ | Joe Flacco | 245 | Peyton Manning | 37 | Peyton Manning | 15 |
| Nick Foles | 6’6″ | Cam Newton | 245 | Tom Brady | 36 | Tom Brady | 13 |
| Josh Freeman | 6’6″ | Nick Foles | 243 | Carson Palmer | 34 | Drew Brees | 12 |
| Carson Palmer | 6’5″ | Ben Roethlisberger | 241 | Drew Brees | 34 | Michael Vick | 11 |
| Cam Newton | 6’5″ | Josh Freeman | 240 | Tony Romo | 33 | Carson Palmer | 10 |
| Peyton Manning | 6’5″ | Matt Schaub | 239 | Michael Vick | 33 | Tony Romo | 9 |
| Matt Schaub | 6’5″ | E.J. Manuel | 237 | Matt Schaub | 32 | Matt Schaub | 9 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 6’5″ | Carson Palmer | 235 | Eli Manning | 32 | Eli Manning | 9 |
| Philip Rivers | 6’5″ | Blaine Gabbert | 235 | Philip Rivers | 32 | Ben Roethlisberger | 9 |
| Matt Ryan | 6’4″ | Andrew Luck | 234 | Ben Roethlisberger | 31 | Philip Rivers | 9 |
| E.J. Manuel | 6’4″ | Jake Locker | 234 | Jay Cutler | 30 | Aaron Rodgers | 8 |
| Andrew Luck | 6’4″ | Matthew Stafford | 232 | Brandon Weeden | 30 | Alex Smith | 8 |
| Blaine Gabbert | 6’4″ | Tony Romo | 230 | Aaron Rodgers | 30 | Jay Cutler | 7 |
| Alex Smith | 6’4″ | Peyton Manning | 230 | Kevin Kolb | 29 | Kevin Kolb | 6 |
| Ryan Tannehill | 6’4″ | Colin Kaepernick | 230 | Alex Smith | 29 | Matt Ryan | 5 |
| Tom Brady | 6’4″ | Christian Ponder | 229 | Matt Ryan | 28 | Joe Flacco | 5 |
| Eli Manning | 6’4″ | Philip Rivers | 228 | Joe Flacco | 28 | Mark Sanchez | 5 |
| Colin Kaepernick | 6’4″ | Aaron Rodgers | 225 | Matt Flynn | 28 | Matt Flynn | 5 |
| Sam Bradford | 6’4″ | Tom Brady | 225 | Mark Sanchez | 27 | Matthew Stafford | 4 |
| Kevin Kolb | 6’3″ | Mark Sanchez | 225 | Andy Dalton | 26 | Josh Freeman | 4 |
| Jay Cutler | 6’3″ | Matt Flynn | 225 | Colin Kaepernick | 26 | Cam Newton | 3 |
| Brandon Weeden | 6’3″ | Sam Bradford | 224 | Sam Bradford | 26 | Blaine Gabbert | 3 |
| Matthew Stafford | 6’3″ | Ryan Tannehill | 222 | Matthew Stafford | 25 | Colin Kaepernick | 3 |
| Jake Locker | 6’3″ | Matt Ryan | 220 | Ryan Tannehill | 25 | Sam Bradford | 3 |
| Andy Dalton | 6’2″ | Jay Cutler | 220 | Christian Ponder | 25 | Andy Dalton | 2 |
| Tony Romo | 6’2″ | Andy Dalton | 220 | Russell Wilson | 25 | Brandon Weeden | 2 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 6’2″ | Brandon Weeden | 220 | Josh Freeman | 25 | Christian Ponder | 2 |
| Christian Ponder | 6’2″ | Kevin Kolb | 218 | Jake Locker | 25 | Jake Locker | 2 |
| Mark Sanchez | 6’2″ | Eli Manning | 218 | Cam Newton | 24 | Andrew Luck | 1 |
| Smith, Geno | 6’2″ | Smith, Geno | 218 | Andrew Luck | 24 | Ryan Tannehill | 1 |
| Matt Flynn | 6’2″ | Alex Smith | 217 | Blaine Gabbert | 24 | Nick Foles | 1 |
| Robert Griffin III | 6’2″ | Robert Griffin III | 217 | Nick Foles | 24 | Russell Wilson | 1 |
| Drew Brees | 6’0″ | Michael Vick | 215 | E.J. Manuel | 23 | Robert Griffin III | 1 |
| Michael Vick | 6’0″ | Drew Brees | 209 | Robert Griffin III | 23 | E.J. Manuel | 0 |
| Russell Wilson | 5’11” | Russell Wilson | 206 | Smith, Geno | 22 | Smith, Geno | 0 |
More Sizing Up: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers
