Average Height and Weight of NFL Tight 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, tight ends who thought 210 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 2023 season (just after the final cuts at the end of preseason), almost 1700 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the 112 active tight ends across the league.
In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest tight ends as well. Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random football knowledge.
Average Height of an NFL Tight End
The average height of an NFL Tight End is 76.56 inches (roughly 6’4 1/2).
Average Weight of an NFL Tight End
The average weight of an NFL Tight End is 248.68 pounds.
Who Are The Tallest Tight Ends in the NFL?
I never cease to be amazed at just how big Tight Ends are now in football (even TEs at the college level).
There are over two dozen guys listed at 6’6″ or taller and out of those, 8 are listed at 6’7″ or taller.
| Name | Height | Weight | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curtis Hodges | 6’8″ | 240 | Commanders |
| Donald Parham | 6’8″ | 237 | Chargers |
| Darnell Washington | 6’7″ | 265 | Steelers |
| Jimmy Graham | 6’7″ | 265 | Saints |
| John Fitzpatrick | 6’7″ | 255 | Falcons |
| Jelani Woods | 6’7″ | 253 | Colts |
| Colby Parkinson | 6’7″ | 253 | Seahawks |
| Josh Whyle | 6’7″ | 248 | Titans |
Who are the Shortest Tight Ends in the NFL?
I think most fans associate Tight Ends with the 6’7″ guys listed above.
However, there are still some shorter guys (relatively speaking) still playing the position at the highest level.
Here are the 7 shortest players in the league, all 6’2″ or shorter.
| Name | Height | Weight | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Heyward | 6’0″ | 230 | Michigan State |
| Reggie Gilliam | 6’0″ | 244 | Toledo |
| Taysom Hill | 6’2″ | 221 | Saints |
| Josiah Deguara | 6’2″ | 238 | Packers |
| Irv Smith | 6’2″ | 240 | Bengals |
| MyCole Pruitt | 6’2″ | 245 | Falcons |
| Quintin Morris | 6’2″ | 252 | Bills |
Who are the Heaviest Tight Ends in the NFL?
Tight Ends aren’t just tall – they’re BIG.
The 8 biggest Tight Ends all weigh 265 pounds or more.
| Name | Height | Weight | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcedes Lewis | 6’6″ | 267 | Bears |
| Mo Alie-Cox | 6’5″ | 267 | Colts |
| Trevon Wesco | 6’3″ | 267 | Titans |
| Darnell Washington | 6’7″ | 265 | Steelers |
| Jimmy Graham | 6’7″ | 265 | Saints |
| Ko Kieft | 6’5″ | 265 | Buccaneers |
| Will Dissly | 6’4″ | 265 | Seahawks |
| Michael Mayer | 6’4″ | 265 | Raiders |
Who are the Lightest Tight Ends in the NFL?
On the other end of the spectrum, there are 8 players listed at 235 pounds or less.
| Name | Height | Weight | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Cager | 6’5″ | 220 | Giants |
| Taysom Hill | 6’2″ | 221 | Saints |
| Stone Smartt | 6’4″ | 226 | Chargers |
| Connor Heyward | 6’0″ | 230 | Steelers |
| Harrison Bryant | 6’5″ | 230 | Browns |
| Juwan Johnson | 6’4″ | 231 | Saints |
| Johnny Mundt | 6’4″ | 233 | Vikings |
| Ross Dwelley | 6’5″ | 235 | 49ers |
2022 Data
This is the second season that I’ve posted this data and I thought it would be interesting to keep an ‘archive’, if you will, of past seasons to watch how the sizes of players evolve over the years.
So here are the numbers for the 2022 season including 109 active Tight Ends:
Average Size of NFL Tight Ends by Year
| Year | Height (inches) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 76.53 | 248.65 |
| 2023 | 76.56 | 248.68 |
Tallest
There were almost two dozen tight ends listed at 6’6″ in 2022, but only four were listed as over 6’6″.
The four tallest tight ends in the league that year were:
- Zach Gentry – 6’8″ – Steelers
- Donald Parham – 6’8″ – Chargers
- Jelani Woods – 6’7″ – Colts
- Colby Parkinson – 6’7″ – Seahawks
Shortest
There were a handful of tight ends listed at 6’2″, but one player stood out as clearly the shortest.
- Connor Heyward – 6’0″ – Steelers
- Anthony Firkser – 6’2″ – Falcons
- MyCole Pruitt – 6’2″ – Falcons
- Josiah Deguara – 6’2″ – Packers
- Taysom Hill – 6’2″ – Saints
- Quintin Morris – 6’2″ – Bills
Heaviest
Here were the four heaviest:
- C.J. Uzomah – 271 pounds – Jets
- Marcedes Lewis – 267 pounds – Packers
- Mo Alie-Cox – 267 pounds – Colts
- Trevon Wesco – 267 pounds – Bears
Lightest
There were 4 tight ends listed at under 230 pounds.
- Lawrence Cager – 220 pounds – Giants
- Dan Arnold – 220 pounds – Jaguars
- Taysom Hill – 221 pounds – Saints
- Stone Smartt – 226 pounds – Chargers
Final Thoughts
So, what did I learn?
Tight ends in the NFL are massive. The average height is 6’4″ 1/2 and about a quarter of the guys are 6’6″ or taller.
Also, some position groups have a wide range of body types, but Tight End is not one of those positions. For one reason or another, there is definitely an NFL ‘prototype’ Tight End.
Almost 75% of Tight Ends measure between 6’4″ and 6’6″ and over 80% of players’ weight falls in a 20-pound window from 240 to 260.
If you found this info interesting, you might also enjoy the fastest tight ends in NFL combine history.
Other Positions
I’ve done the same height and weight breakdown for other positions too including:
Or, you can check out a complete breakdown of the heights and weights of all NFL Players by position.
