Ranking all the potential 2024 Vikings rookie QBs by hand size

Choosing a quarterback during the 2024 NFL Draft is going to be a gamble. As history has shown, sometimes even the most can't-miss prospects can fail to be successful at the NFL level. For the Minnesota Vikings, looking at every factor to make the right decision is important.

There are some qualities that are easy to measure. Things like height, weight, hand size, and 40-yard dash time are all compiled during the Scouting Combine. Other things like locker room leadership and decision-making can be harder to quantify.

Having big hands won't automatically make a quarterback a better prospect, but it can help a young, nervous quarterback to hang on to the ball and have a deliver an accurate pass when under pressure by opposing defenses.

14 quarterbacks had their hand measurements taken at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine or Pro Day to prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft. Let's look at which passers had the largest and smallest paws of the group.

Ranking all the potential 2024 Vikings rookie QBs by hand size

1. Michael Penix Jr. - Washington - 10.5 inches
2. Joe Milton - Tennessee - 10.25 inches
3. Bo Nix - Oregon - 10.125 inches
T4. Spencer Rattler - South Carolina - 9.875 inches
T4. Austin Reed - Western Kentucky - 9.875 inches
T4. Kedon Slovis - BYU - 9.875 inches
T7. Sam Hartman - Notre Dame - 9.75 inches
T7. Caleb Williams - USC - 9.75 inches
9. Devin Leary - Kentucky - 9.5 inches
10. Jayden Daniels - LSU - 9.375 inches
11. Michael Pratt - Tulane - 9.25 inches
12. Drake Maye - North Carolina - 9.125 inches
T13. J.J. McCarthy - Michigan - 9 inches
T13. Jordan Travis - Florida State - 9 inches

One interesting thing about this list is that the consensus top four quarterbacks in this draft class are all at or near the bottom half of the prospects according to hand size. Of Williams, Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy, the biggest hands are 9.75 inches, which is tied for the seventh largest among the group.

The average hand size for quarterbacks drafted in the first round from 2008 to 2020 is 9.7 inches. This makes Daniels, Maye, and McCarthy all below average for a player at their position in the NFL. Each of those prospects has a chance to be the Vikings' quarterback of the future.

As stated earlier, hand size is no guaranteed indicator of how successful a quarterback will be at the NFL level. However, every factor must be taken into account when taking a big chance on a player who hopes to one day lead a team like the Minnesota Vikings to the big game.

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