Biggest offensive players in the NFL

By Jeff Dickinson | Monday, July 14, 2008 | ( 1 )

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There is an old adage that says bigger isn't always better, but the person who created that obviously never played in the National Football League. In the early years of the NFL, the biggest players usually played on the offensive and defensive lines.

When William Perry played for the Chicago Bears in the mid-1980s, he was an anomaly because he tipped the scales at more than 350 pounds. In today’s NFL, 350-pound players are fairly commonplace.

Even with skill positions like quarterback, running back and wide receiver, size seems to matter. Gone are the days when quarterbacks were barely over 200 pounds. Gone also are the days when running backs were short and lacked bulk.

With that out of the way, here is a look at the biggest offensive players in the NFL at each position:

QUARTERBACK

The largest quarterback in the league, the Oakland Raiders' JaMarcus Russell, is also one of the newest. As big as some linemen, Russell stands 6-foot-6 and weighs a whopping 263 pounds. Not too far behind Russell is journeyman Titans quarterback Kerry Collins, a 6-5, 245-pounder. Two quarterbacks who are currently free agents would be at the top of the list if they hadn’t been let go by their teams in the offseason. Super Bowl ring-wearing Jared Lorenzen, who backed up Eli Manning with the New York Giants, is 6-4, 288; meanwhile, Daunte Culpepper, who spent last season with the Raiders, is a 6-4, 255-pounder.

RUNNING BACK

It used to be that only fullbacks were big and strong, but tailbacks have gotten larger as the years have gone on. That is evidenced best by the Giants’ Brandon Jacobs, a 6-4, 264-pound back who helped lead Big Blue to a championship last season. Next in line is free agent Najeh Davenport, a 6-1, 247-pounder whom the Steelers recently cut.

FULLBACK

Fullbacks are supposed to be big so they can open holes for tailbacks, but even they have ballooned in recent years. Some of today’s fullbacks would be mistaken for offensive linemen if they weren’t lining up in the backfield. The biggest employed FB is Detroit's Jon Bradley, who weighs a whopping 310 pounds but only stands 6-1. The second-biggest fullback in the league is Richard Owens, the Rams’ 6-4, 273-pounder.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

O-linemen have always been among the biggest position players in the league, but they have also continued to add size over the years. It used to be that an offensive lineman who weighed more than 300 pounds was coveted. If a lineman isn’t at least 300 pounds today, though, he probably won’t have a job in the NFL.

Buffalo boasts the biggest lineman in the league in right tackle Langston Walker, who is 6-8, 366. Jacksonville’s Richard Collier (6-7, 358) isn’t far behind Walker.

TIGHT ENDS

Tight ends have always been on the big side, but their size is at an all-time high these days. Oakland’s Fred Wakefield (6-7, 295) takes the cake, so to speak, while Kansas City's Joe Lobdell (6-5, 280) is the runner-up.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Tall wideouts have become more popular over the years, but now the NFL features some receivers who are both large with respect to height and bulky. The Titans' Mike Williams is the biggest receiver in the league at 6-5, 242, while Jacksonville’s Matt Jones is right on his heels at 6-6, 238.

KICKERS

Kickers have always needed a strong leg, but now they also have strong bodies. The Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski (6-2, 250) is the most physically imposing when it comes to weight. There must be something in the Bay Area water, though, because San Francisco’s Joe Nedney is next in line at 6-5, 233.

PUNTERS

Some people don’t even view punters as real football players. After all, they only appear in a game a handful of times, rarely experiencing any contact. Try telling Philadelphia’s Sav Rocca, a 6-5, 265-pounder, that he isn’t a true football player. Houston’s Matt Turk is also a punter you probably don’t want to challenge, coming in at 6-5, 240.

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	About Jeff Dickinson I have been writing and editing professionally for 18 years. I spent the first three years of my career as a sportswriter for a daily newspaper in Alabama and got to cover sports and get paid for it! It was great until I got married and then it wasn't too much fun being away from my wife every...
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