If you want to know the average NFL player height and weight for each position, then this article is for you.
We used the best quality data to find out the average football player height and weight for all the NFL positions, including linebacker, quarterback, wide receiver, running back, cornerback, and many more.
What is the average height of an NFL player?
What is the average height of an NFL player? According to football player height research, the average NFL player height is just under 6 feet 2 inches, which works out to around 188 centimeters.
The average NFL height takes into account the average height for each and every position.
As we can see, the average football player is around 5 inches taller than the average man, indicating that size definitely reigns supreme in the NFL.
Of course, some NFL players are much shorter than others. For example, a running back is almost always going to be shorter than an offensive lineman.
What is the average football player weight?
What is the average football player weight? Based on the data, the average weight for a football player in the NFL is 242 pounds or 109.8 kilograms.
The average football player weighs around 40 lbs more than the average American man, which makes sense, given that NFL players have a lot of muscle mass.
Additionally, the average NFL player weight of 242 lbs shows that, for many positions, you need to be big and strong to find lasting success in football.
Football isn’t like basketball, where you can be tall and relatively skinny. You need to be at least somewhat tall and very strong, which usually means having a fairly high body mass as well.
Average NFL height and weight by position
Here is the average NFL height and weight by position so that you can see the average size of different kinds of football players.
Average NFL linebacker size
The average linebacker in the NFL is just over 6 feet 2 inches tall, which works out to 188 centimeters. This means that the average lineman is as tall as the average NFL player.
The average linebacker weight is right around 245 pounds or 111 kilograms, which is roughly in line with the average NFL weight. [1]
The average outside linebacker size is likely to be less than that of a middle or inside linebacker. Additionally, linebacker size can still vary significantly from player to player.
Average quarterback height and weight
In the NFL, the average quarterback height is around 6ft 3.5in or 191.5 cm, which is over 1.5 inches taller than the average football player.
In contrast, the average quarterback weight is only 225 lbs or 102 kg, which is around 20 lbs less than average.
Quarterbacks are usually one of the lighter players on the field, and a typical college quarterback will weigh around 208 lbs, which is much less than an NFL quarterback.
Average wide receiver height
The average wide receiver height is 6 feet tall or 183 centimeters, meaning that a typical NFL wide receiver is around 2 inches shorter than the average football player.
As for body mass, the average wide receiver weight is just 200 pounds (90.72 kg), making him one of the lightest players on the pitch, roughly on par with defensive backs. [2]
Average NFL running back height
The average NFL running back height is just under 5 feet 11 inches, which is around 179.65 centimeters, making running backs the shortest players on the football pitch.
As expected, the average running back weight in the NFL is also much less than average at 215 lbs or 97.52 kg.
Average cornerback height
In the NFL, the average cornerback height is just under 6 feet tall, meaning that your typical cornerback is a full 2 inches shorter than the average NFL player.
Similarly, the average cornerback weight is much lower than average as well, with the average cornerback weighing between 190 lbs and 195 lbs.
Average tight end size
As you would expect, the average tight end size is considerably bigger than average for an NFL player, especially in the height department.
The average height of a tight end in the NFL is 6 feet 4 and ½ inches, which is a solid 2.5 inches above the average height for an NFL player.
Similarly, the average weight of a tight end is 254 lbs, making them 10-15 lbs heavier than the average football player.
Average defensive end size
Now let’s look at the average defensive end size. On average, a defensive end in the NFL stands at almost 6 foot 4 and weighs a hefty 279 lbs.
Although there are heavier players on the pitch than defensive ends, they’re still much bulkier and taller than the average NFL player.
Average safety height
The average safety height in the NFL is around 6 feet, and the average safety weighs roughly 205 lbs.
As you can see, a typical safety weighs considerably less than the average football player, and they’re a couple of inches shorter as well.
Average defensive tackle size
The average defensive tackle height is just over 6 feet 3 inches or 191 centimeters, which is around an inch taller than the average height of football players in the NFL.
As for body mass, the average weight of a defensive tackle is 309 pounds or 140 kilograms.
What you’ll notice is that defensive tackles are usually some of the biggest and heaviest players on the pitch due to their 300-plus-pound physiques. [3]
Average defensive back size
Next up, the average defensive back size. On average, an NFL defensive back stands at a height of just under 6 feet and weighs right around 200 pounds, making them one of the shortest and lightest players on the pitch.
Average NFL center size
Let’s take a look at the average NFL center size to see how they compare to other players on the pitch. Are they taller or shorter than average?
Well, the average NFL center height is slightly under 6 feet 4 inches, making them almost 2 inches taller than the average NFL player.
But how about weight? Again, with a hefty body mass of around 305 lbs, the average NFL center weighs around 50 lbs more than the average football player.
Average offensive tackle size
It’s no surprise that the average offensive tackle size is, quite frankly, colossal. At nearly 6 feet 6 inches, the average offensive tackle is a full 4 inches taller than the average NFL player.
In terms of body mass, offensive tackles are also much heavier than a normal NFL player, as they weigh between 315 lbs and 320 lbs on average.
In fact, some of the biggest offensive tackles weigh closer to the 400-pound mark!
Average offensive lineman height and weight
In the NFL, the average offensive lineman height and weight is around 6 foot 5 and 315 pounds. With body stats like these, it’s no surprise that offensive linemen are often the biggest players on the pitch.
Some offensive linemen can easily outweigh players in other positions by at least 100 lbs, which shows just how important body size is for certain football positions.
Average offensive guard size
What is the average offensive guard size in the NFL? In terms of height, the typical offensive guard usually stands well over 6 foot 4 but not quite 6 foot 5.
As for body mass, the average weight for an offensive guard in the NFL is approximately 315 pounds, which is well above the average NFL player weight.
Average long snapper height and weight
According to NFL statistics, the average long snapper height and weight is 6 foot 2 ½ inches and 244 lbs, meaning that a long snapper is slightly taller than the average NFL player with an average body weight.
Average NFL kicker height and weight
The average height and weight of an NFL kicker is around 6 feet and 203 lbs, making kickers much lighter and a bit shorter than the typical NFL player.
Average NFL punter height and weight
The average height and weight of an NFL punter is just under 6 foot 2 and 215 pounds. As with a kicker, a punter is typically much lighter than the average football player.
Average fullback size
Finally, we have the average fullback size. How tall is a fullback, and how much do they weigh?
In the NFL, the average fullback height is a bit over 6 feet (nearly 6ft and ½), making a standard fullback a bit smaller than the average NFL player.
The average weight for an NFL fullback is around 245 lbs, which is roughly in line with the average weight for football players as a whole.
What is the average height and weight for a college football player
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the average height and weight for a college football player is 6 foot 1 and ¾ inches tall and 232 pounds. [4]
As you can see, the average college football player is slightly shorter than the average NFL player, and they weigh about 10-12 lbs less as well.
Let’s break down the average college football player height and weight by position:
- Offensive Lineman: 76.45 inches and 300.73 lbs
- Defensive Tackle: 74.75 inches and 297.66 lbs
- Center: 75.54 inches and 297.04 lbs
- Defensive Lineman: 75.17 inches and 273.13 lbs
- Tight End: 76.06 inches and 242.51 lbs
- Fullback: 72.59 inches and 236.45 lbs
- Linebacker: 73.53 inches and 226.6 lbs
- Long Snapper: 73.04 inches and 219.84 lbs
- Quarterback: 74.46 inches and 207.89 lbs
- Running Back: 70.87 inches and 204.75 lbs
- Kicker/Punter: 72.82 inches and 197.46 lbs
- Safety: 72.31 inches and 197.16 lbs
- Wide Receiver: 72.61 inches and 192.13 lbs
- Defensive Back: 71.95 inches and 190.87 lbs
- Cornerback: 71.51 inches and 185.14 lbs
Is there a height limit in the NFL?
No, there is no height limit for the NFL. In American football, players are usually big and tall, and there’s no height restriction for athletes.
Athletes who are exceptionally tall, however, may gravitate towards basketball, where they can make the best use of their height. This is especially true for those over 7 feet.
It could be argued that there’s a sweet spot when it comes to height in the NFL. You obviously want to be tall so that you can have enough body mass to be competitive but not so tall that it impedes your speed or skill potential.
Conclusion: Why is knowing the average NFL player height and weight useful?
Knowing the average NFL player height and weight is useful because it gives you a benchmark to aim for.
If you’re playing college football, you’ll know roughly how much you need to weigh for your particular position in order to be competitive in the National Football League.
Of course, fans of the sport may also be curious as to the average NFL height and weight for each position. After all, it’s pretty interesting to learn just how big football players really are!
References
- Blender, C. Average NFL Height and Weight by Position. https://webpages.uidaho.edu/~renaes/251/HON/Student%20PPTs/Avg%20NFL%20ht%20wt.pdf
- Week, A. T. O. T., & Week, A. T. O. T. (2018, August 8). How Do You Determine Which Football Position You Are Best Suited For? Bodybuilding.com. https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/how-do-you-determine-which-football-position-you-are-best-suited-for.html
- Rookie Road. (2023, February 12). Football Defensive Tackle. https://www.rookieroad.com/football/positions/defensive-tackle/
- Daniel Wilco, NCAA.com. (2017, November 7). How big is the average college football player? Breaking down the size of different teams, positions, and conferences (Benzie read, please). NCAA.com. https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2017-11-07/how-big-average-college-football-player-breaking-down-size