It is indisputable that NFL players are becoming bulkier with every passing season. After some thorough research, the Scripps Howard study has concluded that there has been a continuous trend in the NFL ever since 1985 that players’ average weight grows 10% annually.
In 2012,the average weight of almost 2000 active NFL players was 246 pounds. Among them all, there are 426 players who weighed 300 pounds and more, and 3 players weighed 350 pounds. Keep on reading to find out who are the largest 5 NFL players since 2012!
1. Terrell Brown – 377 lbs
Terrell is the largest NFL player, signed by the St. Louis Rams.He is officially, 6′ 10″ talland weighs 377 lbs. It is reported that at one point, before being drafted, he weighed as much as 403 lbs.
2. Michael Jasper – 375 lbs
Second on the list, the New York Giants player used to be heaviest one in the NFL tipping the scales at 375 lbs. since his 2011 draft by the Buffalo Bills,but his 375 lbs. is nothing compared to the 450 lbs. he weighed while in college.
3. T.J. Barnes – 364 lbs
T.J. Barnes is currently undrafted. He used to play forGeorgia Tech; during draft he weighed369 lbs.
4. Robert Griffin – 361 lbs
Griffin was draftedby the New York Jets in 2012, but didn’t makethe main team, instead he was placed onthe practice squad. He signed with the Colts in 2013,but it seems that once again he will be onthe practice squad.
5. Chris Scott – 360 lbs
The Steelers drafted him in 2010 and played himin just two games. Right now, he has signed with the Carolina Panthers.
The Others with Notable Weight— both High and Low
Aaron Gibson is the largest player ever drafted in the NFL, andwas 410 lbs. when he played for the Cowboys, Lions, Bills and Bears, during his 5 active NFL seasons. Just like guys on our top 5 list, he weighedeven more in high school, when he was440 lbs. Terrance Knightonis one of the most popular large NFL players, who weighted 335 lbs. and still had very important part in team defense that lead themto a Super Bowl.
On the other side of the scale, there is anNFL player who weighs the least, weighing “only” half of any of our top 5 heaviest NFL players. The player is Brandon Banks, who weighs 153 lbs. and with his weight is significantly under the average NFL players’ weight.
Will These Guys Keep on Getting Bigger?
With all these increasingly huge and bulky players in the league, we are left wondering if they will keep on becoming larger and larger. Well, it is not that likely that we will see NFL players weighing above 500 lbs in the next decade or so! This would definitely be a limiting factor for their athletic abilities. But it is possible that our top 5 bulky players list will become even bulkier.
Sources:
Fox Sports: http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/michael-jasper-player
ESPN: http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/_/name/car/carolina-panthers