Linebacker Bench Press Reps NFL Combine

Most Linebacker Bench Press Reps at NFL Combine (By Year)

I’ve always loved the NFL Combine. A series of events to evaluate the physical characteristics of the best college football players each year. It’s basically an Olympic decathlon for potential NFL Rookies.

Some may call it overrated, and that’s debatable, but you definitely get some insight into the physical characteristics of guys at each position.

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 2007) to find the top Linebacker Bench Press performances 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 reps from Indianapolis.

Most Linebacker Bench Press Reps All-Time

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine History
Player School Reps Year
Ronnell Lewis Oklahoma 36 2012
Cornelius Washington Georgia 36 2013
Vic Beasley Clemson 35 2015
Donald Butler Washington 35 2010
Sean Weatherspoon Missouri 34 2010
Desmond Bishop California 33 2007
Demario Davis Arkansas State 32 2012
Ross Homan Ohio State 32 2011
Antwan Barnes FIU 31 2007
Miles Burris San Diego State 31 2012
Mike Hull Penn State 31 2015
Micah Johnson Kentucky 31 2010
Drue Tranquill Notre Dame 31 2019

Year By Year Top Linebacker Bench Press Numbers

Here is a breakdown of the top 5 Bench Press reps from each year going back to 2007. In addition to the top 5 each year, I’ve also included any linebacker that benched more than 28 reps.

Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine

2023

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2023
Player School Reps Year
Owen Pappoe Auburn 29 2023
Noah Sewell Oregon 27 2023
Isaiah Moore NC State 26 2023
Trenton Simpson Clemson 25 2023
Jeremy Banks Tennessee 25 2023

Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine

2022

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2022
Player School Reps Year
Chad Muma Wyoming 27 2022
Devin Lloyd Utah 25 2022
Aaron Hansford Texas A&M 24 2022
Terrel Bernard Baylor 22 2022
Micah McFadden Indiana 21 2022
Jake Hansen Illinois 21 2022

2020

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2020
Player School Reps Year
Khaleke Hudson Michigan 30 2020
Joe Bachie Michigan State 26 2020
Zack Baun Wisconsin 24 2020
Shaquille Quarterman Miami 23 2020
Akeem Davis-Gaither Appalachian State 21 2020
Willie Gay Jr Mississippi State 21 2020
Kenneth Murray Oklahoma 21 2020
Chapelle Russell Temple 21 2020
Davion Taylor Colorado 21 2020
Logan Wilson Wyoming 21 2020

2019

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2019
Player School Reps Year
Drue Tranquill Notre Dame 31 2019
Cody Barton Utah 30 2019
Ty Summers TCU 27 2019
Deshaun Davis Auburn 25 2019
Tyrel Dodson Texas A&M 24 2019
Dre Greenlaw Arkansas 24 2019
Germaine Pratt NC State 24 2019
Sione Takitaki BYU 24 2019

2018

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2018
Player School Reps Year
Christian Sam Arizona State 28 2018
Malik Jefferson Texas 27 2018
Tegray Scales Indiana 27 2018
Genard Avery Memphis 26 2018
Chris Covington Indiana 23 2018
Kenny Young UCLA 23 2018

2017

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2017
Player School Reps Year
Ben Gedeon Michigan 27 2017
Marquel Lee Wake Forest 25 2017
Matt Milano Boston College 24 2017
Keith Kelsey Louisville 23 2017
Raekwon McMillan Ohio State 23 2017
Anthony Walker Northwestern 23 2017

2016

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2016
Player School Reps Year
BJ Goodson Clemson 30 2016
Raphael Kirby Miami 27 2016
Eric Striker Oklahoma 23 2016
Stephen Weatherly Vanderbilt 23 2016
Blake Martinez Stanford 22 2016
Tyler Matakevich Temple 22 2016
Gionni Paul Utah 22 2016
Joe Schobert Wisconsin 22 2016
Scooby Wright Arizona 22 2016

2015

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2015
Player School Reps Year
Vic Beasley Clemson 35 2015
Mike Hull Penn State 31 2015
Kyle Emanuel North Dakota State 27 2015
Denzel Perryman Miami 27 2015
BJ Dubose Louisville 26 2015
Bryce Hager Baylor 26 2015
Davis Tull UT Chatttanooga 26 2015

2014

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2014
Player School Reps Year
Max Bullough Michigan State 30 2014
Khairi Fortt California 30 2014
Jeremiah George Iowa State 28 2014
Kevin Pierre-Louis Boston College 28 2014
Chris Borland Wisconsin 27 2014

2013

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2013
Player School Reps Year
Cornelius Washington Georgia 36 2013
Sio Moore Connecticut 29 2013
Michael Mauti Penn State 28 2013
Zaviar Gooden Missouri 27 2013
Jelani Jenkins Florida 27 2013

2012

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2012
Player School Reps Year
Ronnell Lewis Oklahoma 36 2012
Demario Davis Arkansas State 32 2012
Miles Burris San Diego State 31 2012
Ryan Baker LSU 30 2012
Brandon Marshall Nevada 28 2012
Melvin Ingram South Carolina 28 2012

2011

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2011
Player School Reps Year
Bruce Miller Central Florida 35 2011
Ross Homan Ohio State 32 2011
Brooks Reed Arizona 30 2011
Justin Houston Georgia 30 2011
Sandon Herzlich Boston College 29 2011

2010

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2010
Player School Reps Year
Donald Butler Washington 35 2010
Sean Weatherspoon Missouri 34 2010
Thaddeus Gibson Ohio State 32 2010
Micah Johnson Kentucky 31 2010
Brandon Graham Michigan 31 2010
Mike McLaughlin Boston College 29 2010

2009

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2009
Player School Reps Year
Kevin Ellison USC 32 2009
Kaluka Maiava USC 30 2009
Marcus Freeman Ohio State 30 2009
Brian Cushing USC 30 2009
Anthony Felder California 28 2009

2008

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2008
Player School Reps Year
Quentin Groves Auburn 30 2008
Stanford Keglar Purdue 29 2008
Shawn Crable Michigan 29 2008
Kroy Biermann Montana 29 2008
Jonathan Goff Vanderbilt 28 2008

2007

Most LB Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2007
Player School Reps Year
Desmond Bishop California 33 2007
Antwan Barnes FIU 31 2007
Stephen Nicholas South Florida 29 2007
Stewart Bradley Nebraska 28 2007
Kelvin Smith Syracuse 26 2007
Zak DeOssie Brown 26 2007
Jon Abbate Wake Forest 26 2007
Tony Taylor Georgia 26 2007
Tim Shaw Penn State 26 2007
Nate Harris Louisville 26 2007

Notes

Back in 2010 when there were 5 linebackers that benched over 30 reps there were a total of 42 linebackers who participated in the 225 rep test. In 2022, there were 8.

Why is that? What happened in 2022?

The NFL Combine changed its schedule to try to shorten the amount of time players have to spend in Indianapolis. This led to measurements (like height and weight), bench press and on-field workouts taking place all on the same day.

This led to many players in 2022 opting out of the bench press so it wouldn’t affect their on-field workouts. According to scouts I’ve spoken with over the years, the value placed in on-field drills drastically outweighs how many reps players can bench 225 pounds.

So, most players (only 3 defensive tackles participated on bench) chose to focus on things like running a fast 40, having good jumps (both vertical jump and broad jump) and performing well in the position drills.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that not everyone that gets invited to NFL Combine actually bench presses. So, some players that potentially could put up a lot of reps don’t have an official number on the record.

On top of 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 a pro day where we had guys who put up numbers that would have put them right at the top of the rankings.

References

NFL.com

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