24 Strongest NFL Players in the World

NFL is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is also one of the most physically demanding. An athlete needs to be strong enough to tackle his opponents and fast enough to dash across a football field to win his team matches. 

Now, how would you like if a man the size of a Ford F-150 came charging at you as fast as Usain Bolt? That’s precisely what is happening on the football fields, the only difference being the Ford F-150s are crashing into Cybertrucks. 

Don’t get us wrong. We are not complaining. As weird as it might sound, sports like these keep us going. 

Related: Tom Brady Diet and Workout Plan For An NFL-Ready Physique

The NFL Scouting Combine

For any athlete to be selected into the NFL, they have to go through a rigorous screening program. Think of NFL athlete scouting as a milder version of “ill-born” inspections on the Spartan babies. Thank god there are no Mount Taygetus’ in the US. 

The tests and evaluation for the NFL include:

• 40-yard dash
• Bench press (225 lbs repetitions)
• Vertical jump
• Broad jump
• 20-yard shuttle
• 3 cone drill
• 60-yard shuttle
• Position-specific drills
• Interviews – each team is allowed 60 interviews in 15-minute intervals
• Physical measurements
• Injury evaluation
• Drug screen
• Cybex test
• Wonderlic test

Although we consider all the physical tests for our evaluation of the strongest NFL players in the world, our main focus was the bench press (225 lbs repetitions). If you don’t see your favorite NFL athlete on this list even when he has one of the best vertical or broad jumps, you now know the reason. 

The footballers that make it through the screening process are some of the best athletes in the country. So, our job basically required us to choose the best from the best. 

Also Read: Herschel Walker Workout and Diet Program

24 Strongest NFL Players of All-Time

In this article, we go over the 24 strongest NFL players of all time (active and retired). We used verifiable lifts (video or in powerlifting or strongman events) to sort through the athletes. 

Here are the 24 strongest NFL players of all time (in no particular order):

1. Aaron Donald

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 285 lbs
• Bench Press: 500 lbs (PR), 35 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: LA Rams

Aaron Donald is one of the most jacked NFL players on the list. The 2018 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner has an incredible burst off the line and is a master at tackling the offensive plays of the opposing team. 

Aaron started his pro career in 2014. He signed a four-year contract with LA Rams worth $10.13 million. The star NFL player resined with the team again in 2018 for a contract worth $135 million. 

Donald likes to play high stake games and follows unique training techniques. To improve his agility and defense, Aaron has his trainer swing a knife at him. 

2. Adrian Peterson

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 220 lbs
• Bench Press: 295 lbs (PR), 23 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Seattle Seahawks

Peter had a rough childhood. He got into sports after witnessing his brother’s death. He used football as a coping mechanism for everything that was happening in his life. 

Even in the later years of his career, Adrian is one of the pound-for-pound, strongest players in the NFL. Only a few other athletes can match Peterson’s speed, power, and furiosity. He uses his monster strength to rip through the line of scrimmage. 

Peterson’s trainer at the University of Oklahoma swears that he could hold 80 lbs dumbbells in each hand while making a standing jump to the top of a 36-inch high wooden box.

3. Chris Carson

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 222 lbs
• Bench Press: 23 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Seattle Seahawks

Carson is a fitness enthusiast. His upper body workouts are brutal, and he routinely shares his workout videos on social media. Although Carson has struggled with several injuries throughout his career, he always manages to sting his opponents with a strong comeback.

4. Danielle Hunter

• Height: 6’5″
• Weight: 252 lbs
• Bench Press: 25 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Minnesota Vikings

Danielle Hunter is an absolute tank. Given his size, we are sure his opponents kick themselves every time they have the ball in their hands and see Hunter charging towards them. It is one heck of a hunting show for sure. 

Apart from his prowess in the gym and insane muscle mass, Danielle is highly flexible because of his Pilates training. He is known for doing 80 lbs bicep curls with ease. 

5. Larry Allen

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 325 lbs
• Bench Press: 705 lbs (PR), 43 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

Larry Allen is one of the strongest NFL players of all time. Allen was benching 500+ lbs in 1994 by the time he left college. Not bad for a college kid, eh?

While dominating the offensive line in 1998 for the Dallas Cowboys, Larry Allen was benching more than 600 lbs and quitting 800 lbs. 

In a video, Allen is seen benching 600, 635, 675, and 705 lbs in the Cowboys’ weight room. 

To put things into context, only six men in history have officially bench pressed 700 or more raw—without a bench shirt. On top of that, when Allen retired from the NFL, his PR was 715.

Larry Allen would have made a darn good powerlifter for sure. 

A 7-time first-team All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler, Larry earned the “Strongest Man in the NFL” title and was elected into the Football Hall of Fame. 

Related: The 6 Most Jacked NFL Players

6. DK Metcalf

• Height: 6’4″
• Weight: 235 lbs
• Bench Press: 27 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Seattle Seahawks

DK Metcalf credits his genetic for his superhuman strength and agility. However, he admits to training with strength coaches twice a day for months on end in his initial football years.

DK participated in the 100m USATF Golden Games to qualify for the Olympic Trials. Although the NFL player did not make it to the Olympic team, he achieved a remarkable record of 10.37 seconds. Talk about fast and strong. 

7. Saquon Barkley

• Height: 6′
• Weight: 232 lbs
• Bench Press: 29 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: New York Giants

Born in an athletic family, Saquon Barkley is a star footballer since his high school days. Although Barkley chose NFL as his career, he also played basketball and track and has won several awards in both sports. 

Being the star he is, Barkley has several records under his belt including “Most Career Rushing Touchdowns,” “Rushing Yards (Freshman and Sophomore),” and “Most Total Yards.” He won these titles playing for the Penn state college football team in 2015. 

When Barkley was at Penn State, his teammates say that he would absolutely humiliate everyone when he walked in the weight room. These days, he is known to do 700 lbs squats and carry a 225 lbs trap bar up a steep hill as part of his workouts. 

Saquon Barkley entered the 2018 NFL Draft and signed a $32 million contract with New York Giants the very same year. Barkley was named the “Top 100 Players of 2019” by the NFL.

8. Andrew Billings

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 330 lbs
• Bench Press: 31 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Miami Dolphins 

Andrew Billings is arguably one of the top three strongest NFL players of all time. How did we come to this conclusion, you ask?

Billings broke a 22-year Texas state high school weightlifting record by squatting 805 lbs, benching 500 lbs, and deadlifting 705 lbs, for a 2,010 lbs total. The 22-year old record was previously held by “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry.

It isn’t over yet. Andrew Billings was so strong that training staff at Baylor University had to put restrictions on him, in terms of how heavy he was allowed to lift.

9. Vernon Davis

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 254 lbs
• Bench Press: 33 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

Vernon Davis is a freak of nature. Not only is he fast, but he is also strong like a bull. While in college, Vernon benched 460 lbs, squatted 685 lbs, and power cleaned 355 lbs for three reps.

At the NFL combine, Davis completed the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds and benched 225 lbs for 33 reps. That’s the speed of a top wide receiver and the high-rep strength of a top defensive lineman (by comparison, JJ Watt got 34 reps, Aaron Donald got 35).

Apart from being one of the strongest NFL players, Vernon Davis is a fan of bodybuilding and regularly posts his training videos online for his fans to follow. 

10. James Harrison

• Height: 6′
• Weight: 240 lbs
• Team: Retired

The next entry on the strongest NFL players in the world list is none other than James Harrison. In 2014, he recorded a video of himself benching 405 pounds, then “taking a rest” between sets by doing 10 push-ups with a teammate sitting on his back.

A workout video from 2017 shows him performing:

1. 675 lbs hip thrust
2. 315 lbs hang clean
3. 315 lbs reverse lunge
4. 405 lbs decline press
5. 22 lbs overhead tricep extension
6. 1,800 lbs sled push

If that is not enough, he also has a 1,200 lbs leg press under his belt. And his bench press PR now stands at a whopping 525 lbs, which he achieved in 2020 at the age of 42. 

Must Watch: Former NFL Star James Harrison Hits Stunning 525lbs Bench Press

11. Jon Kolb

• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 262 lbs
• Team: Retired

Jon Kolb is often regarded as the biggest and strongest NFL player of his era. The offensive lineman played all 13 of his NFL seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers, including on four Super Bowl-winning teams.

Apart from being a successful NFL player, Kolb was also a reputed powerlifter. During the NFL offseason in 1978 and 1979, Jon competed in the WSM competitions and finished fourth both times. 

12. Stephen Paea

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 300 lbs
• Bench Press: 49 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

The New Zealand-born athlete holds the NFL Combine record by bench pressing 225 lbs for 49 reps in 2011. No one who went on to play in the NFL has done more than 45 before or since. (Justin Ernest did a monster 51 reps in 1999, but he went undrafted and never played in an NFL game.)

13. Terry Long

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 275 lbs
• Team: Retired

Long was undersized (160 lbs) during his high school days and played only a half-season of high school football. He caught the lifting bug in the Army Special Forces where he was packing on 100 lbs and shoving up 405lbs bench presses.

After a two-year service, Terry entered a powerlifting meet to prove his strength to the NFL teams. He ended up squatting 837.7 lbs benching 501.5 lbs and deadlifting 865.3 lbs. 

Long claims that he has squatted 900 lbs and benched 565 lbs in training, and he would have smashed the powerlifting world record if he was not drafted into the NFL. 

Sadly, after an eight-year successful run in the NFL, Terry Long’s career came to a sudden end due to a steroid violation. He took his own life in 2005 at age 45. Terry will go down in history as one of the strongest NFL players of all time. 

14. Isaac Sopoaga

• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 330 lbs
• Bench Press: 42 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

Growing up in Samoa, Isaac’s daily workouts included lifting tree logs and bags of coconuts. While studying at the University of Hawaii, Isaac bench pressed 500 lbs and squared over 700 lbs. 

To top it off, at the NFL combine, he stopped after performing 42 reps on the 225 lbs because he thought it was the record. Sopoaga’s college coach claimed that he got 48 reps in training. 

Reportedly, Isaac Sopoaga could throw a football 85 yards in the air, which would be a world record. 

15. Chris Snee

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 310 lbs
• Bench Press: 29 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

Snee was on two Super Bowl-winning teams and made it to the Pro Bowl four times. He played all 10 of his seasons for the New York Giants. 

In May 2010, Powerlifting USA Magazine put Chris Snee on their cover with the title “The NFL’s Strongest Man.” Snee lifts included a 615 lbs bench press, 425 lbs seated barbell military press, 515 lbs incline bench press, and 600 lbs squats. 

16. Bob Young

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 280 lbs
• Team: Retired

In his 16 season NFL career, Bob Young played for 5 different teams. He was a weightlifting fan (when it was not a norm in the football world). 

What you are going to read now might shock you. It is something unheard of even now, let alone back then. 

Bob is said to have deadlifted 800 lbs and squatted 500 lbs – for 22 reps!

Bob’s era was known as the NFL steroid era, and he was an admitted user. 

In 1977, Young competed in the inaugural World’s Strongest Man competition. He finished in second place behind weightlifter Bruce Wilhelm, who outweighed him by more than 50 lbs. You could call him the pound-for-pound strongest man of his era. Bob Young won the squat event at the WSM. They used girls in cages as weights. 

Young finished fifth in the 1979 WSM. In 1980, Bob was the second Strongest Man in Football. Bob tragically died of a heart attack at the age of 52 in 1995. 

Trivia: Bob Young was the elder brother of powerlifting legend Doug Young.

17. Derrick Henry

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 250 lbs
• Bench Press: 22 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Tennesse Titans

The 6’3″ athlete who ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.55 seconds weighs just under 250 lbs. Derrick’s imposing rushing game and larger stature than the average running back earned him the nickname “King Henry”. 

Derrick is a fitness enthusiast. He regularly posts videos of himself flipping monster truck tires and pushing around pickup trucks as part of his off-season training regimens.

His speed and strength have helped him run for a career-high 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018. 

18. David Johnson

• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 224 lbs
• Bench Press: 25 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Houston Texans

Johnson’s off-seasons workouts are so intense that they have been featured in Men’s Fitness magazine. We aren’t exaggerating when we say the NFL running back hits like a freight train. 

The former Arizona Cardinals running back, who stands at 6’1″, 225lbs, broke out in 2016, leading the NFL with 2,118 total yards and 20 combined touchdowns, making his first All-Pro team.

Some of his workout feats include:

1. 600 lbs back squat
2. 4-foot high box jump
3. 315 lbs bench press for reps
4. 331 lbs power clean

19. JJ Watt

• Height: 6’5″
• Weight: 288 lbs
• Bench Press: 34 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Arizona Cardinals

JJ Watt is a force of nature to be reckoned with. His size and superhuman strength make him a nightmare for his opponents. The shredded footballer can squat 700 lbs and clear a 61″ box jump. 

Watt is the only player in NFL history to have multiple seasons with 20 or more sacks. His insane strength and athleticism make him one of the most valuable assets for any team. 

Related: NFL Player JJ Watt Exposes Fake Weights On Social Media: ‘Beware The Bulls—t’

20. Myles Garrett

• Height: 6’5″
• Weight: 274 lbs
• Bench Press: 33 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Cleveland Browns

Apart from being one of the strongest NFL players of all time, Myles Garrett is also one of the most shredded. 

He played college football at Texas A&M, where he received Unanimous All-American honors in 2016 and was selected first overall by the Browns in the 2017 NFL Draft. He has been named to three Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 2020.

Trivia: Myles Garrett spends his free time writing poetry. 

21. LaRon Landry

• Height: 6′
• Weight: 226 lbs
• Team: Retired

LaRon Landry arguably has the biggest arms on the strongest NFL players list. He is also one of the most jacked football players of all time. Landry has maintained his impressive physique even after retirement. 

At one point, he was able to run a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, then hit the weight room and bench 425 pounds and squat 500 pounds.

During his NFL career, LaRon became so obsessed with bulking up that he ended up losing most of his speed and athleticism that made him a top-level talent. 

22. Steve Weatherford

• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 211 lbs
• Team: Retired

Apart from being one of the strongest NFL players, Steve Weatherford is also regarded as one of the fittest. His workout regimens find a spot in top magazines and online publications. 

“I entered my freshman year of high school weighing 107 pounds. I was the lightest person in the entire school, except for a couple of girls,” says Weatherford. 

Steve realized that he only had a chance to play pro football if he bulked up. And, bulk up he did. 

Some of his lifts at the gym include:

1. Squat: 420 lbs for 10 reps
2. Bench Press: 525 lbs for 1 rep
3. Deadlift: 335 lbs for 5 reps

23. Kam Chancellor 

• Height: 6’3″
• Weight: 239 lbs
• Bench Press: 22 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

Thanks to Kam Chancellor, wide receivers dreaded going into the middle of the field when they played Seattle in his era. Chancellor looks like a superhero, and some NFL pundits considered him the biggest, baddest, and scariest NFL safety athlete. 

Offensive players who could not outrun were advised to step out of bounds or go down when they saw the 6-foot-3, 239-pound enforcer heading in their direction

24. Rob Gronkowski 

• Height: 6’6″
• Weight: 265 lbs
• Bench Press: 23 reps of 225 lbs
• Team: Retired

Rob Gronkowski is the tallest athlete on the strongest NFL players list. Few players in NFL history have possessed the combination of strength and speed displayed by former New England Patriots superhuman tight end, Gronkowski.

Rob is known for his incredible catches and his ability to drag the defenders down the field. His ginormous size makes him look like an oversized dad playing backyard football with his kids. 

NFL Bench Press Record

Since the bench press was one of our main criteria for evaluating the strongest NFL players of all time, we thought we would leave you with records for the highest number of reps with 225 lbs (102 kgs). 

• 51 reps: Justin Ernest (1999)
• 49 reps: Stephen Paea (2011)
• 45 reps: Mike Kudla (2006), Mitch Petrus (2010), and Leif Larsen(2000)
• 44 reps: Brodrick Bunkley (2006), Jeff Owens (2010), Dontari Poe (2012), and Netane Muti (2020)
• 43 reps: Scott Young (2005), Larry Allen (1994)
• 42 reps: Isaac Sopoaga (2004), Tank Tyler (2007), Russell Bodine (2014), Harrison Phillips (2018)
• 41 reps: Igor Olshansky (2004), Terna Nande (2006), David Molk (2012), and Vita Vea (2018)

Trivia: Since the introduction of the bench press test in 1994, only 19 men at the NFL scouting combine have managed to achieve more than 40 repetitions. 

Next Read: Watch What Happens When These Bodybuilders Try The NFL Combine Fitness Test!

Conclusion

NFL takes the Darwinian theory of evolution a step further. In football, it is not just about survival of the fittest. To make it as a footballer, you need to be as strong as you are fit.

We hope the 24 strongest NFL players mentioned in the article motivate you to get in the best shape of your life. So, what are you waiting for? Get under the 225 lbs and bench away! 

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