The mainstream media tends to latch onto height as the main ingredient in "size" and I think that's obviously not thorough enough. Maurice Drew at 5' 6.6" 207 plays with a lot more power than Darren McFadden at 6'1.2" 211 because he has a much stronger and compact frame, even though McFadden is "bigger" if you just look at height and weight.
It is similar story at WR. All else being equal, a "thick" tall WR like Larry Fitzgerald will play bigger than a "thick" short WR like Victor Cruz. But just because Sidney Rice and Brandon Coleman are tall doesn't mean they have more ideal frames than shorter, but stronger WRs like Crabtree and Boldin. Tall and skinny will sometimes = easier to push around whereas short and stout can often make a player tougher to deal with.
What I'd say at both RB and WR is that overall size is important, but so is the height/weight ratio. For example, Dion Lewis has a higher BMI than Steven Jackson. Does this mean he runs with more strength? No, because at some level being taller and heavier is worth something even if the player is slightly thinner. Likewise, Brandon Marshall and Demaryius Thomas play a lot bigger than Josh Boyce and Wes Welker even though they're thinner. If you want to get an accurate picture of the player's style and physique, it's not enough to look at either variable (height/weight and BMI) in isolation. You have to look at both of them.
If you just describe Watkins as undersized or even average sized, you are missing a big piece of the equation. His height is only average or slightly above average, but his height/weight ratio is near the top of the scale. So when you look at the two factors, he's closer to being a "big" receiver than an undersized one. You're not going to realize that if you just look at his height or weight in isolation. Watkins at 6'0.6" 211 will probably have a lot more functional strength than Jordan Matthews at 6'3.1" 212, even though a lazy or ignorant analysis might deem Matthews to have the more "ideal" frame.
I agree, but Evans is both thick and tall with a BMI of 27.7, so I think it is still fair to like him more.
Evans is also a tenth slower than Watkins in the 40, which is a pretty significant difference.
Here are some players that Evans compares to physically:
Mike Evans - 6'4.6" 231 (27.7)
Brandon Marshall - 6'4.4" 229 (27.6)
Demaryius Thomas - 6'3.2" 224 (27.8)
Julio Jones - 6'2.6" 220 (27.8)
He's almost the exact same size as Brandon Marshall. Marshall is also the player that I've heard him compare himself to in interviews. Their 40 times and vertical leap are almost identical. However, I don't think he's as athletic as Marshall on the football field. More of a long strider. Much less elusive. He's a bit stiff as an athlete and I don't find him to be very impressive in space. I don't think his initial burst is as good as Marshall's.
Demaryius might have the same BMI on paper. On the field, he looks heavier than that. He's also far more agile than Evans, albeit not as tall.
Julio is almost two inches shorter than Evans, so maybe he doesn't belong in the discussion despite the similar BMI. If you want to compare him with Evans, I'd say he's vastly more athletic. Much more explosive.
As much as I like to consider a player's combine numbers as an important part of the puzzle, they don't fully eliminate the need for subjective analysis. Part of that is because certain characteristics like initial quickness and fluidity don't show up in combine drills (look at Anquan Boldin, Keenan Allen, and LeSean McCoy). Another reason is because certain measures like BMI are not totally specific and comprehensive. A player's height/weight ratio tells you nothing about the distribution of that weight. A top-heavy player with chicken legs like Robert Turbin or Beanie Wells can come out looking great on paper, when in reality the distribution of his weight is less than ideal. On paper, Evans is a Brandon Marshall clone. On the field, they look like two totally different people.
Evans might have the same height/weight ratio as Marshall and Demaryius, but that doesn't make him the same player. He's not as good of a route runner and not as good in space. He's a tough prospect to peg because there really haven't been too many guys like him to come around in recent years. I find him to be a stiff route runner with very limited separation skills. A lot of scouting reports echo that observation. On the other hand, he's extremely tall with long arms. Maybe that will allow him to excel despite his other athletic shortcomings. Either way, I don't buy the idea of him as a safer pick or more prototypical physical specimen than Watkins. He has warts too.
