Chance Warmack’s Height Should Not Hurt Draft Stock

There were a few surprises when the fat guys along the offensive line weighed in at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday. Alabama has three first-round prospects along the front five — guard Chance Warmack, tackle D.J. Fluker and center Barrett Jones. Two of the trio raised eyebrows once they hit the room with the tape measurers, scales and NFL decision-makers.

Warmack measured in shorter than advertised at 6’2”. After all, teams were expecting him to be a towering 6’3”. Fortunately, he also weighed in at 317 pounds and his arms were a long 34 3/4”. There’s no reason to worry. But come Combine time, a potential top-10 pick being one inch shorter than expected causes a panic.

The reality is that Warmack is an old-school mauler and arguably the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson went No. 17 overall in 2001. The fact that he shows off his glistening gut with a short-shirt halter-top jersey only adds to his nastiness.

After leading the Crimson Tide with 39 pancake blocks and just two penalties — while serving as one of Bama’s three team captains — Warmack is hoping to follow in the footsteps for former Alabama legend John Hannah, who was the No. 4 overall pick in 1973 before road-grading his way to a Hall of Fame career as a guard.

In fact, some are even suggesting that Warmack should be on the short list of candidates for the Kansas City Chiefs’ No. 1 overall pick. With Larry Allen having been inducted into the Hall of Fame this season, it’s easy to be reminded of the impact an All-Pro guard can have on a franchise.

Warmack’s linemate, Fluker, was an as-advertised 6’5” tall, but he did weigh in at a svelte 339 pounds — some 16 pounds lighter than the 355 pounds he tipped the scales at during the Senior Bowl.