I’ve always loved the NFL Combine. A one-week event where some of the best athletes in the world compete in a series of physical challenges. It’s like an Olympic decathlon, but for college football players.
When I train players for the combine, one of the things we always do is look at previous years’ results to see how we stack up. It is a great tool for goal-setting and motivation.
This guide is simply me sharing this information with you. I went through all the previous NFL Combines (going back to 2006) to find the best Tight End Vertical Jumps of all time.
Note: These are the official NFL Combine times from NFL.com. Some resources online will also include pro-day numbers, but because there are so many other variables with pro-day numbers I’ve stuck strictly to the official results from Indianapolis.
Best Tight End Vertical Jumps of All-Time
| Best TE Vertical Jumps in NFL Combine History |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Dorin Dickerson |
Pittsburgh |
43.5″ |
2010 |
| Virgil Green |
Nevada |
42.5″ |
2011 |
| Vernon Davis |
Maryland |
42″ |
2006 |
| Mike Gesicki |
Penn State |
41.5″ |
2018 |
| Jared Cook |
South Carolina |
41″ |
2009 |
| Clay Harbor |
Missouri State |
40″ |
2010 |
| Zack Kuntz |
Old Dominion |
40″ |
2023 |
| Noah Fant |
Iowa |
39.5″ |
2019 |
| Temuchin Hodges |
Virginia Tech |
39″ |
2017 |
| Colt Lyerla |
Oregon |
39″ |
2014 |
Year By Year Top Tight End Vertical Numbers
Here is a breakdown of the top 5 Vertical Jumps from each year going back to 2006. In addition to the top 5 each year, I’ve also included any tight end that jumped 35″ or higher.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2023 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Zack Kuntz |
Old Dominion |
40″ |
2023 |
| Davis Allen |
Clemson |
38.5″ |
2023 |
| Will Mallory |
Miami |
36.5″ |
2023 |
| Brenton Strange |
Penn State |
36″ |
2023 |
| Luke Musgrave |
Oregon State |
36″ |
2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2022 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Isaiah Likely |
Coastal Carolina |
36″ |
2022 |
| Chigoziem Okonkwo |
Maryland |
35.5″ |
2022 |
| Curtis Hodges |
Arizona State |
34.5″ |
2022 |
| Daniel Bellinger |
San Diego State |
34.5″ |
2022 |
| Austin Allen |
Nebraska |
34″ |
2022 |
| Greg Dulcich |
UCLA |
34″ |
2022 |
2020
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2020 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Cole Kmet |
Notre Dame |
37″ |
2020 |
| Stephen Sullivan |
LSU |
36.5″ |
2020 |
| Charlie Taumoepeau |
Portland State |
36.5″ |
2020 |
| Josiah Deguara |
Cincinnati |
35.5″ |
2020 |
| Dom Wood-Anderson |
Tennessee |
35″ |
2020 |
2019
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2019 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Noah Fant |
Iowa |
39.5″ |
2019 |
| TJ Hockenson |
Iowa |
37.5″ |
2019 |
| Foster Moreau |
LSU |
36.5″ |
2019 |
| Kahale Warring |
San Diego State |
36.5″ |
2019 |
| Alize Mack |
Notre Dame |
36″ |
2019 |
2018
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2018 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Mike Gesicki |
Penn State |
41.5″ |
2018 |
| Tyler Conklin |
Central Michigan |
38″ |
2018 |
| Ian Thomas |
Indiana |
36″ |
2018 |
| Marcus Baugh |
Ohio State |
33″ |
2018 |
| Ryan Izzo |
Florida State |
33″ |
2018 |
| David Wells |
San Diego State |
33″ |
2018 |
2017
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2017 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Temuchin Hodges |
Virginia Tech |
39″ |
2017 |
| Jonnu Smith |
FIU |
38″ |
2017 |
| Gerald Everett |
South Alabama |
37.5″ |
2017 |
| David Njoku |
Miami |
37.5″ |
2017 |
| Evan Engram |
Ole Miss |
36″ |
2017 |
| George Kittle |
Iowa |
35″ |
2017 |
2016
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2016 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Stephen Anderson |
California |
38″ |
2016 |
| Ben Braunecker |
Harvard |
35.5″ |
2016 |
| Beau Sandland |
Montana State |
35″ |
2016 |
| Ryan Malleck |
Virginia Tech |
34.5″ |
2016 |
| Thomas Duarte |
UCLA |
33.5″ |
2016 |
2015
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2015 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| MyCole Pruitt |
Southern Illinois |
38″ |
2015 |
| Jesse James |
Penn State |
37.5″ |
2015 |
| Wes Saxton |
South Alabama |
36″ |
2015 |
| Clive Walford |
Miami |
35″ |
2015 |
| Maxx Williams |
Minnesota |
34.5″ |
2015 |
2014
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2014 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Colt Lyerla |
Oregon |
39″ |
2014 |
| Marcel Jensen |
Fresno State |
35″ |
2014 |
| AC Leonard |
Tennessee State |
34″ |
2014 |
| Crockett Gillmore |
Colorado State |
33.5″ |
2014 |
| Jace Amaro |
Texas Tech |
33″ |
2014 |
2013
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2013 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Chris Gragg |
Arkansas |
37.5″ |
2013 |
| Tyler Eifert |
Notre Dame |
35.5″ |
2013 |
| Matt Furstenburg |
Maryland |
35.5″ |
2013 |
| Dion Sims |
Michigan State |
35″ |
2013 |
| Jake Stoneburner |
Ohio State |
34.5″ |
2013 |
2012
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2012 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| DeAngelo Peterson |
LSU |
36″ |
2012 |
| James Hanna |
Oklahoma |
36″ |
2012 |
| Michael Egnew |
Missouri |
36″ |
2012 |
| Ladarius Green |
Louisiana-Lafayette |
34.5″ |
2012 |
| David Paulson |
Oregon |
32″ |
2012 |
| Dwayne Allen |
Clemson |
32″ |
2012 |
2011
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2011 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Virgil Green |
Nevada |
42.5″ |
2011 |
| Jordan Cameron |
USC |
37.5″ |
2011 |
| Rob Housler |
Florida Atlantic |
37″ |
2011 |
| Schuylar Oordt |
Northern Iowa |
36″ |
2011 |
| Julius Thomas |
Portland State |
35.5″ |
2011 |
2010
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2010 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Dorin Dickerson |
Pittsburgh |
43.5″ |
2010 |
| Jimmy Graham |
Miami |
38.5″ |
2010 |
| Anthony McCoy |
USC |
35.5″ |
2010 |
| Jermaine Gresham |
Oklahoma |
35″ |
2010 |
| Garrett Gresham |
Wisconsin |
34.5″ |
2010 |
2009
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2009 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Jared Cook |
South Carolina |
41″ |
2009 |
| Kory Sperry |
Colorado State |
33.5″ |
2009 |
| John Phillips |
Virginia |
33.5″ |
2009 |
| Brandon Pettigrew |
Oklahoma State |
33″ |
2009 |
| Shawn Nelson |
Southern Miss |
33″ |
2009 |
| Cornelius Ingram |
Florida |
33″ |
2009 |
| Dan Gronkowski |
Maryland |
33″ |
2009 |
2008
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2008 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Dustin Keller |
Purdue |
38″ |
2008 |
| Tom Santi |
Virginia |
36″ |
2008 |
| Martellus Bennett |
Texas A&M |
34″ |
2008 |
| Brad Cottam |
Tennessee |
33″ |
2008 |
| Gary Barnidge |
Louisville |
31″ |
2008 |
2007
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2007 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Dante Rosario |
Oregon |
36″ |
2007 |
| Michael Allan |
Whitworth |
36″ |
2007 |
| Greg Olsen |
Miami |
35.5″ |
2007 |
| Kevin Boss |
Western Oregon |
35″ |
2007 |
| Ben Patrick |
Delaware |
34.5″ |
2007 |
2006
| Best TE Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2006 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Vernon Davis |
Maryland |
42″ |
2006 |
| David Thomas |
Texas |
37.5″ |
2006 |
| Leonard Pope |
Georgia |
37.5″ |
2006 |
| Marcedes Lewis |
UCLA |
37″ |
2006 |
| Joe Klopfenstein |
Colorado |
36″ |
2006 |
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that not everyone that gets invited to the NFL Combine actually jumps (although verticals along with running the 40 and broad jumps are still heavily participated in by most positions). So, some players that potentially could put up a big jump don’t have an official number on the record.
One thing every guy is almost guaranteed to get put on record? Their height and weight.
Finally, don’t forget that there are many players each year that would have put up big numbers that don’t receive an NFL Combine invite. I’ve been at many pro days where some of the numbers our guys put up would have been top 5 or even top 3 at the combine that year.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Alena Veasey / Shutterstock.com
References
NFL.com
Share This
