Average Height and Weight of NFL Defensive Tackles 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 118 active defensive tackles (players listed as defensive tackles and nose tackles) across the league. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest defensive tackles as well. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random football knowledge.
Average Height of an NFL Defensive Tackle
The average height of an NFL Defensive Tackle is 75.31 inches (almost 6’3 1/2″ tall).
Average Weight of an NFL Defensive Tackle
The average weight of an NFL Defensive Tackle is 309.75 pounds.
Who Are The Tallest Defensive Tackles in the NFL?
There are 9 guys listed as 6’6″ or taller – the three tallest are all listed at 6’7″.
- DeForest Buckner – 6’7″ – Colts
- Arik Armstead – 6’7″ – 49ers
- Raekwon Davis – 6’7″ – Dolphins
- Jordan Phillips – 6’6″ – Bills
- Jerry Tillery – 6’6″ – Raiders
- Chris Jones – 6’6″ – Chiefs
- Eyioma Uwazurike – 6’6″ – Broncos
- Jordan Davis – 6’6″ – Eagles
- Jalen Dalton – 6’6″ – Falcons
Who are the Shortest Defensive Tackles in the NFL?
15 defensive tackles are 6’1 or less, but there are only 4 listed at 6’0″ even.
- Khalen Saunders – 6’0″ – Chiefs
- T.Y. McGill – 6’0″ – 49ers
- Grady Jarrett – 6’0″ – Falcons
- D.J. Jones – 6’0″ – Broncos
Who are the Heaviest Defensive Tackles in the NFL?
Not surprisingly, there are some very large humans playing on the defensive line. Here are the 6 heaviest guys, all 340 pounds or bigger.
- Marquan McCall – 379 pounds – Panthers
- Quinton Bohanna – 360 pounds – Cowboys
- Vita Vea – 347 pounds – Bucs
- Dexter Lawrence – 342 pounds – Giants
- John Jenkins – 340 pounds – Dolphins
- Josh Tupou – 340 pounds – Bengals
Who are the Lightest Defensive Tackles in the NFL?
There are only 5 guys listed at under 290 pounds.
- Osa Odighizuwa – 280 pounds – Cowboys
- Mario Edwards – 280 pounds – Titans
- Henry Mondeaux – 280 pounds – Giants
- Kevin Givens – 285 pounds – 49ers
- Marquise Copeland – 287 pounds – Rams
- Ed Oliver – 287 pounds – Bills
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
Crazy to think that the two tallest defensive tackles in the league – Buckner and Armstead at 6’7″ – played on the same Oregon Ducks defensive line.
Other than that, there wasn’t too much that I was really surprised by. I expected to see a lot of really big guys playing in the middle of trenches and that’s exactly what I found.
If you found this breakdown interesting, you may also want to check out the fastest defensive tackle 40 times in NFL Combine history.
Other Positions
I’ve done the same height and weight breakdown for other positions too including:
