Washington State’s Gardner Minshew brings big arm, massive hands to Reese’s Senior Bowl

Gardner Minshew had yet to throw a pass in Mobile, Alabama, before he gained a leg up – well, actually a hand – on his competition Tuesday morning at the Senior Bowl.

NFL teams will spend the rest of the week evaluating Minshew’s physical traits. What they knew about him as of Tuesday morning? WSU’s record-setting quarterback packs a big hand to go with his powerful right arm.

Senior Bowl participants were weighed and measured before they headed to the podium for media interviews Tuesday morning. For the pro clubs that place stock in the length and width of their QB’s throwing hand, Minshew already looks to be an attractive option.

Of the eight signal-callers in attendance, Minshew recorded the biggest paw, measuring in at 10 1/4 inches. Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson, who’ll split reps with Minshew on the South team, was the only other QB that recorded a hand size of at least 10 inches.

Duke’s Daniel Jones came in at 9 3/4, West Virginia’s Will Grier was measured at 9 1/2, Auburn’s Jarrett Stidham and North Carolina State’s Ryan Finley at 9 3/8, Penn State’s Trace McSorley at 9 1/8 and Missouri’s Drew Lock at 9 inches.

Luke Falk, a four-year starter for the Cougars who was picked up in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, had his hand measured at 9 3/8 inches last January. Minshew’s hand would’ve also been the biggest of any QB at the 2018 Senior Bowl – a field that included current Cleveland Browns starter Baker Mayfield and Buffalo Bills starter Josh Allen.

Minshew’s hand compares well to other NFL quarterbacks who were drafted in the first round. According to NFL.com, the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Chicago Bears’ Mitchell Trubisky and the Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson all have hands that measure under 10 inches, while the Philadelphia Eagles’ Carson Wentz checks in at 10 inches exactly and the Seahawks’ Paxton Lynch is right with Minshew, with a hand that measures 10 1/4 inches.

Despite a huge mitt, Minshew enters Senior Bowl week as one of the smallest statured quarterbacks. His WSU athletic bio lists him at a generous 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, but Minshew was measured at 6-0 and 224 Tuesday. McSorley is in the ballpark, at 6-0, 200, but each of the other six QBs have at least two inches on Minshew. Grier checked in at 6-2, 218; Jackson at 6-7, 249; Stidham at 6-2, 214; Finley at 6-4, 208; Jones at 6-5, 220 and Lock at 6-3, 223.