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 2006) to find the top Tight End 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 Tight End Bench Press Reps All-Time
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine History |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Orson Charles |
Georgia |
35 |
2012 |
| Joe Don Duncan |
Dixie College |
35 |
2014 |
| Daniel Coats |
BYU |
34 |
2007 |
| Vernon Davis |
Maryland |
33 |
2006 |
| Vance McDonald |
Rice |
31 |
2013 |
| Clay Harbor |
Missouri State |
30 |
2010 |
| David Morgan |
Texas San Antonio |
29 |
2016 |
| Jace Amaro |
Texas Tech |
28 |
2014 |
| Travis Beckum |
Wisconsin |
28 |
2009 |
| James Casey |
Rice |
28 |
2009 |
| Gerald Christian |
Louisville |
28 |
2014 |
| Arthur Lynch |
Georgia |
28 |
2014 |
Year By Year Top Tight End Bench Press Numbers
Here is a breakdown of the top 5 Bench Press reps from each year going back to 2006. In addition to the top 5 each year, I’ve also included any tight end that benched more than 25 reps.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2023 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Brenton Strange |
Penn State |
23 |
2023 |
| Zack Kuntz |
Old Dominion |
23 |
2023 |
| Tucker Kraft |
South Dakota State |
23 |
2023 |
| Darnell Washington |
Georgia |
21 |
2023 |
| Will Mallory |
Miami |
20 |
2023 |
| Travis Vokolek |
Nebraska |
20 |
2023 |
| Brayden Willis |
Oklahoma |
20 |
2023 |
| Blake Whiteheart |
Wake Forest |
20 |
2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2022 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Jelani Woods |
Virginia |
24 |
2022 |
| Teagan Quitoriano |
Oregon State |
22 |
2022 |
| Daniel Bellinger |
San Diego State |
22 |
2022 |
| Grant Calcaterra |
SMU |
20 |
2022 |
| Jeremy Ruckert |
Ohio State |
19 |
2022 |
| Jeremiah Hall |
Oklahoma |
19 |
2022 |
2020
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2020 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Josiah Deguara |
Cincinnati |
25 |
2020 |
| Hunter Bryant |
Washington |
23 |
2020 |
| Jared Pinkney |
Vanderbilt |
23 |
2020 |
| Brycen Hopkins |
Purdue |
21 |
2020 |
| Dalton Keene |
Virginia Tech |
21 |
2020 |
| Charlie Woerner |
Georgia |
21 |
2020 |
2019
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2019 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Trevon Wesco |
West Virginia |
24 |
2019 |
| Kendall Blanton |
Missouri |
22 |
2019 |
| Alize Mack |
Notre Dame |
22 |
2019 |
| Foster Moreau |
LSU |
22 |
2019 |
| Josh Oliver |
San Jose State |
22 |
2019 |
2018
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2018 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Dallas Goedert |
South Dakota State |
23 |
2018 |
| Mike Gesicki |
Penn State |
22 |
2018 |
| Chris Herndon |
Miami |
21 |
2018 |
| David Wells |
San Diego State |
20 |
2018 |
| Tyler Conklin |
Central Michigan |
18 |
2018 |
| Ryan Izzo |
Florida State |
18 |
2018 |
| Durham Smythe |
Notre Dame |
18 |
2018 |
2017
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2017 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Pharaoh Brown |
Oregon |
24 |
2017 |
| Adam Shaheen |
Ashland |
24 |
2017 |
| Gerald Everett |
South Alabama |
22 |
2017 |
| OJ Howard |
Alabama |
22 |
2017 |
| Eric Saubert |
Drake |
22 |
2017 |
2016
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2016 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| David Morgan |
Texas San Antonio |
29 |
2016 |
| Beau Sandland |
Montana State |
23 |
2016 |
| Ben Braunecker |
Harvard |
20 |
2016 |
| Austin Hooper |
Stanford |
19 |
2016 |
| Bryce Williams |
East Carolina |
19 |
2016 |
2015
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2015 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Gerald Christian |
Louisville |
28 |
2015 |
| Jeff Heuerman |
Ohio State |
26 |
2015 |
| Jesse James |
Penn State |
26 |
2015 |
| Nick O’Leary |
Florida State |
21 |
2015 |
| EJ Bibbs |
Iowa State |
20 |
2015 |
| Nick Boyle |
Delaware |
20 |
2015 |
| Randall Telfer |
USC |
20 |
2015 |
| Clive Walford |
Miami |
20 |
2015 |
2014
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2014 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Joe Don Duncan |
Dixie College |
35 |
2014 |
| Jace Amaro |
Texas Tech |
28 |
2014 |
| Arthur Lynch |
Georgia |
28 |
2014 |
| Troy Niklas |
Notre Dame |
27 |
2014 |
| CJ Fiedorowicz |
Iowa |
25 |
2014 |
2013
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2013 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Vance McDonald |
Rice |
31 |
2013 |
| Zach Ertz |
Stanford |
24 |
2013 |
| Tyler Eifert |
Notre Dame |
22 |
2013 |
| Nick Kasa |
Colorado |
22 |
2013 |
| Dion Sims |
Michigan State |
22 |
2013 |
2012
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2012 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Orson Charles |
Georgia |
35 |
2012 |
| Dwayne Allen |
Clemson |
27 |
2012 |
| Coby Fleener |
Stanford |
27 |
2012 |
| James Hanna |
Oklahoma |
24 |
2012 |
| Michael Egnew |
Missouri |
21 |
2012 |
| David Paulson |
Oregon |
21 |
2012 |
2011
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2011 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Luke Stocker |
Tennessee |
27 |
2011 |
| Charlie Gantt |
Michigan State |
27 |
2011 |
| Lee Smith |
Marshall |
25 |
2011 |
| Lance Kendricks |
Wisconsin |
25 |
2011 |
| Virgil Green |
Nevada |
23 |
2011 |
| Jordan Cameron |
USC |
23 |
2011 |
2010
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2010 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Dennis Pitta |
BYU |
27 |
2010 |
| Michael Hoomanawanui |
Illinois |
25 |
2010 |
| Dorin Dickerson |
Pittsburgh |
24 |
2010 |
| Andrew Quarless |
Penn State |
23 |
2010 |
| Rob Gronkowski |
Arizona |
23 |
2010 |
| Ed Dickson |
Oregon |
23 |
2010 |
2009
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2009 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Travis Beckum |
Wisconsin |
28 |
2009 |
| Dan Gronkowski |
Maryland |
26 |
2009 |
| Richard Quinn |
North Carolina |
24 |
2009 |
| Cameron Morrah |
California |
24 |
2009 |
| Jared Cook |
South Carolina |
23 |
2009 |
2008
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2008 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Orson Charles |
Georgia |
27 |
2008 |
| Dwayne Allen |
Clemson |
26 |
2008 |
| Coby Fleener |
Stanford |
24 |
2008 |
| James Hanna |
Oklahoma |
24 |
2008 |
| Michael Egnew |
Missouri |
24 |
2008 |
2007
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2007 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Daniel Coats |
BYU |
34 |
2007 |
| Greg Olsen |
Miami |
23 |
2007 |
| Clark Harris |
Rutgers |
21 |
2007 |
| Dante Rosario |
Oregon |
20 |
2007 |
| Joe Newton |
Oregon State |
20 |
2007 |
2006
| Most TE Bench Reps in NFL Combine 2006 |
| Player |
School |
Reps |
Year |
| Vernon Davis |
Maryland |
33 |
2006 |
| Tim Massaquoi |
Michigan |
32 |
2006 |
| Joe Klopfenstein |
Colorado |
27 |
2006 |
| Charles Davis |
Purdue |
27 |
2006 |
| TJ Williams |
NC State |
25 |
2006 |
Notes
Tight Ends are one of the positions that still have a decent amount of participation in the 225 rep test. Some positions like running back have almost completely abandoned any participation in it.
Why is that?
Teams simply don’t put a lot of stock into the bench. It looks cool, but it’s generally not the reason a player is going to be drafted. So, players avoid the chance of injury and focus on things like running a fast 40, having good jumps (both vertical jump and broad jump) and performing well in the position drills.
The one thing every player will absolutely do is get their measurables taken. In case you’re curious, here are the average tight end heights and weights across the league in 2023.
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.
References
NFL.com
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