Average Height and Weight of NFL Defensive Ends in 2023
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always felt was effective was showing guys the heights and weights of players at their position in the NFL.
It helped give many players the extra motivation needed to gain weight when they were able to compare themselves to guys at the next level. (Sometimes it was even a stark reality check for, say, defensive ends who thought 205 pounds was ‘big enough’ to play in the NFL.)
So, this is essentially the same research I would share with players, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took 53-man active rosters for the 2022 season (just before the final week of the season – Jan 2023), almost 1700 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the 132 active defensive ends across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest defensive ends as well. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random football knowledge.
Average Height of an NFL Defensive End
The average height of an NFL Defensive End is 76.06 inches (just over 6’4″ tall).
Average Weight of an NFL Defensive End
The average weight of an NFL Defensive End is 277.38 pounds.
Who Are The Tallest Defensive Ends in the NFL?
There are some massive humans playing on the defensive line. There are 5 defensive ends listed at 6’7″, the tallest in the league.
- Calais Campbell – 6’8″ – Ravens
- Brent Urban – 6’7″ – Ravens
- Isaiahh Loudermill – 6’7″ – Steelers
- Tanoh Kpassagno – 6’7″ – Saints
- Aidan Hutchinson – 6’7″ – Lions
Who are the Shortest Defensive Ends in the NFL?
There are only 4 defensive ends listed at 6’1″ or less. (and one just so happens to be one of the best players of all time)
- Poona Ford – 5’11” – Seahawks
- Aaron Donald – 6’1″ – Rams
- DeShawn Williams – 6’1″ – Broncos
- Brandon Williams – 6’1″ – Chiefs
Who are the Heaviest Defensive Ends in the NFL?
Potentially due to differing schemes (4-3 ends vs 3-4 ends), there is a crazy range of weights for defensive ends. There are about two dozen guys who weigh over 300 pounds. Here are the top 5:
- Brandon Williams – 336 pounds – Chiefs
- Corey Peters – 335 pounds – Jaguars
- Neil Farrell – 325 pounds – Raiders
- Dalvin Tomlinson – 325 pounds – Vikings
- Akiem Hicks – 324 pounds – Bucs
Who are the Lightest Defensive Ends in the NFL?
Almost 100 pounds in the other direction, here are the five lightest defensive ends in the league.
- Marquis Haynes – 235 pounds – Panthers
- Shaka Toney – 238 pounds – Commanders
- Amare Barno – 245 pounds – Panthers
- Samson Ebukam – 245 pounds – 49ers
- Malcolm Koonce – 249 pounds – Raiders
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
Defensive Ends are incredibly long. Close to half (38.6%) of the ends in the league are 6’5″ or taller. That’s crazy.
Also, as I mentioned earlier, there is a difference of 101 pounds between the heaviest and lightest defensive ends. Different defensive schemes demand very different body types at the end position to the point where they’re almost completely different positions.
The Ravens have a couple of monsters at the end position. Calais Campbell at 6’8″ and 307 pounds and Brent Urban at 6’7″ and 309 pounds are two of the largest humans in the entire NFL.
If you found this breakdown interesting, you may also want to check out the fastest defensive end 40 times in NFL Combine history.
Other Positions
I’ve done the same height and weight breakdown for other positions too including:
