Every year, plenty of players who are drafted by the various NFL teams don’t pan out. When a player busts, those who pulled the trigger on the pick need to have an explanation for the mistake.

That’s harder to do when a player deviates from certain objective norms.

Which explains the scrutiny of LSU tackle Will Campbell regarding his arm length. As explained by Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com, the conventional minimum for tackles is 34 inches. Campbell comes in at 33 and 7/8ths.

Meeting with reporters on Saturday, Campbell brushed off the fact that he’s 1/8th of an inch below the threshold.

“I think I’ve shown everything that I need to, you know, show that I can play tackle at an elite level,” Campbell said, via Legwold. “You can go look at my tape, there’s not one play on there that when I get beat you say that’s because he has shorter arms. . . . Obviously I don’t have stereotypical offensive tackle arms. I’m aware of that. People have to nitpick something. I’ve heard it all my career. When I was coming out of high school, the college coaches all said the same thing. I proved them wrong; it’s something I anticipate doing again.”

Campbell added that he has blocked “close to 15 guys who will go in the first or second round.”

He’s willing to do whatever he has to do to prove himself, including a change in positions.

“If you told me I was going to start at right guard versus be a backup at left tackle, I’m going to tell you to put me at right guard,” Campbell said. “I’ll play anything I need to, to get on the field, but I feel like I can play tackle . . . [but] I’ve been working on everything. I’m a versatile player, I can play wherever I need to play and do whatever I’ve got to do to get on the field.”

Someone will take a chance on Campbell. The question is whether and to what extent the arm-length issue diminishes the spot at which he’d otherwise land. And whether, in time, someone will be trying to make excuses for getting it wrong — or receiving praise for getting it right.