Antonio Brown: Size Matters Not

Too often as a society we become enthralled with size.

Cell phones are bigger. Tablets are bigger. You have to have the 60’ flat screen TV when a 48’ would do the job just fine. A three-story mansion with eight bedrooms and six bathrooms seems more appealing than an exquisite one-story loft.

It’s bigger so it must be better. Right?

Not always.

The same can be said for the NFL. A 6’3 quarterback coming out of college is widely regarded with higher praises than the guy who is 6’0. More often than not mainly due to the fact they are the “prototypical” NFL quarterback size. Are there any other concrete reasons besides that? Not usually. Similarly the same theory applies to the wide receiver position, but one receiver in Pittsburgh continues to prove that theory wrong every Sunday.

Antonio Brown is 5’10, 180 pounds. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft, a draft that saw Arrelious Benn, Damian Williams, and Brandon LaFell—to name a few—have their name called before him. The knock on Brown coming out of college? Size. Here is an excerpt from his draft profile in 2010:

“He (Brown) is undersized and will initially struggle with the physical aspects of the game at the next level. He generally has lined up out of the slot and would have trouble with his release against some of the physical cornerbacks at the next level if he lines up on the line of scrimmage.”

Well, four years and five NFL seasons later, Brown has proven that could not be farther from the truth. Every week Brown puts up some of the best numbers in the league while also providing the Steelers sometimes-stagnant offense with a spark to give them success. Through week eight of the 2014 NFL season, Brown leads the league in receptions with 60. He also leads the league with targets, 87, is second in receiving yards only trailing by a slim 14, and is second in receiving touchdowns with seven.

The two guys ahead of him in those categories: T.Y. Hilton and Randall Cobb. Two more guys knocked for their size. You know, because they aren’t 6’4 and 235 pounds.

Brown is having this success at 5’10 all while being the only legitimate threat for most of the last two seasons that Big Ben has had to throw to. Until last week against the Colts, the Steelers had yet to even see a consistent number two receiver arise opposite of Brown, much less a whole receiving corps.

Defenses come into games against Pittsburgh with the game plan to stop Brown. Remember, 87 targets. 60 receptions. Both league leaders. Opponents know where the ball is going, whom it’s going to, and they still can’t stop it. With 11 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown last night against the Ravens, Brown added another week to his resume proving why he just may be the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Sometimes the best gifts come in small packages.