The 10 heaviest players in NFL history

Whoever said size doesn't matter clearly never watched an National Football League game, where the average player is 6'2" and 245 lbs. We've searched the league's player database from 1920 to the present day and have narrowed down the 10 heaviest players in NFL history. 

10. Robert Griffin

Weight: 361 lbs.
Teams: New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts
Years active: 2012

The "other" Robert Griffin was an offensive lineman on the same Baylor team as the Heisman-winning quarterback by the same name. He was drafted in the sixth round by the New York Jets, but never made the regular season roster and went to Indianapolis for a year.

Griffin was cut by the Colts in August 2013, and never played in the NFL again, but he does currently play in the Champions Indoor Football league.

9. Mekhi Becton

Weight: 364 lbs.
Team: New York Jets
Years active: 2020-present

Mekhi Becton is a well-known name, as he was drafted 11th overall just a year ago by the New York Jets out of the University of Louisville. He started 13 games in his rookie season after running a scary 5.10 40-yard dash in the combine last year.

For comparison’s sake, that is 0.16 seconds faster than Tom Brady. It's not fair to be so big and so fast.

8. T.J. Barnes

Weight: 364 lbs.
Teams: New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers 
Years active: 2013-2019

Barnes went undrafted out of Georgia Tech, but at 6'7" and 364 lbs., the big man was going to get his chance. Sure enough, he bounced around to several teams and practice squads throughout his seven years in the league.

He started one game for the Buffalo Bills in 2015. The defensive tackle combined for nine career tackles in 21 games played.

7. Michael Jasper

Weight: 375 lbs.
Teams: Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers 
Years active: 2011-2014

The defensive tackle weighed a whopping 450 lbs. while at Bethel University. However, he cut his weight down to 375 before being selected in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.

Jasper never played in a regular season game in the NFL, but he took over the head coaching job at his alma mater in 2019, where he remains in charge.

6. Trent Brown

Weight: 380 lbs.
Teams: San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders
Years active: 2015-present

The 2015 seventh round pick out of the University of Florida has made the most of his opportunity. Once he got to Oakland in 2019, he made the Pro Bowl.

Brown was traded back to New England in March, and he will be the largest active player in the NFL this season.

5. William Perry

Weight: 382 lbs.
Teams: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles
Years active: 1985-1994

"The Refrigerator" was drafted 22nd overall in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears out of Clemson University. He started nine regular season games in his rookie year and started all three postseason games including Chicago's win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

Perry was also used as a running back in that Super Bowl, and ran for a 1-yard TD in his lone carry. The Fridge finished his career with eight carries and two touchdowns to go along with 29.5 sacks.

4. Bryant McKinnie

Weight: 386 lbs.
Teams: Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins
Years active: 2002-2013

McKinnie won a National Championship for the University of Miami in 2001, which led to him being selected seventh overall in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.

He was a monster of a lineman, and started 162 career games. McKinnie made the Pro Bowl in 2009 for the Vikings.

3. Nate Newton

Weight: 401 lbs.
Teams: Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers
Years active: 1986-1999

Nate Newton played during the same era as William Perry, but he was larger than him so he earned an even larger nickname: “The Kitchen.”

Newton had an extremely successful career in Dallas that included six Pro Bowls, two First Team All-Pro selections, and three Super Bowl titles.

2. Terrell Brown

Weight: 403 lbs.
Team: St. Louis Rams
Years active: 2013

Terrell Brown was undrafted out of Ole Miss and never actually played a down in a regular season NFL game. However, he was signed by the Rams before the 2013 season.

1. Aaron Gibson

Weight: 410 lbs.
Teams: Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears
Years active: 1999-2004

Gibson got as high as 440 lbs. in high school, but got his weight down to 410 lbs. after being selected 27th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Gibson was an All-American in college at Wisconsin, but he never found that same level of success in the NFL.

He only started 34 career games before heading to the Arena Football League, but will always hold the record of the heaviest man in NFL History... at least for now.