Are NFL players getting bigger? Part one - offense

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Are they really bigger than they were in the late 80s?

NFLcombineresults.com has the measurements for every player who has ever been invited to the NFL combine, although their data lacks arm length and hand size. They do have height and weight so I set about to answer the question in the title by looking at the average height for every offensive position group by year for offensive players. After refreshing my memory on how to use pivot tables and slicers (don’t ask) I was able to generate the plots below and the tables that follow.

It should surprise no one that the tallest guys on offense are the offensive tackles. Ever has it been and ever so it shall remain. At has been this way since the late 80s when the NFL combine began. The average height for an OT at the combine in 2023 was 78.1 inches which matched the largest ever. Compare this to the average height for an OT in 1991 which was 74.7 inches. So on average the offensive tackles invited to the combine are 3.4 inches taller than they were in 1991.

I always though QBs were taller on average than they actually are at the combine. In most years recently at the combine average QBs have been shorter than all but the average WR and the average RB.

Year	WR	TE	RB	QB	OT	OG	OC
2023	72.7	77.0	70.4	73.9	78.1	76.1	75.5
2022	72.7	77.3	70.6	74.1	78.0	76.4	75.5
2021	72.8	76.6	70.1	74.8	78.1	76.3	75.6
2020	73.4	76.2	70.0	75.2	77.5	76.0	75.3
2019	73.1	76.3	70.4	74.8	77.7	75.9	75.4
2018	72.5	76.3	70.9	74.8	78.0	75.7	75.4
2017	72.9	76.3	70.3	74.6	78.0	76.0	75.2
2016	73.0	76.4	71.0	75.6	77.6	76.2	74.9
2015	72.8	76.4	70.1	74.6	77.8	76.1	75.0
2014	72.6	76.6	70.6	74.7	77.7	75.9	75.4
2013	72.6	76.9	69.9	75.3	77.6	75.6	75.5
2012	72.4	76.5	69.9	74.8	77.7	76.2	74.7
2011	72.9	76.2	70.3	75.5	77.6	76.1	74.8
2010	72.6	76.3	71.1	74.9	77.8	76.1	75.7
2009	72.8	76.4	70.7	74.6	77.6	75.7	75.0
2008	72.8	76.7	70.4	75.2	77.5	76.1	75.9
2007	73.0	76.7	70.6	75.2	77.4	75.6	75.0
2006	73.2	76.4	69.9	74.5	77.8	75.9	75.4
2005	72.9	76.2	70.7	74.9	78.0	76.3	75.6
2004	72.9	76.3	70.7	75.6	78.0	76.4	75.2
2003	72.9	76.4	71.2	74.4	77.6	76.4	74.8
2002	72.6	75.9	70.8	74.6	77.7	75.8	75.1
2001	72.4	75.9	70.4	73.9	77.3	76.0	75.1
2000	72.6	76.2	71.1	74.0	77.0	75.7	75.3
1999	72.4	75.7	70.2	74.3	77.7	75.9	75.6
1998	72.7	76.6	70.7	74.6	77.3	76.0	75.8
1997	71.9	76.5	70.7	74.8	77.3	75.9	75.9
1996	72.2	75.7	70.9	74.2	77.5	75.5	74.8
1995	72.0	75.5	70.6	74.5	77.0	75.8	74.5
1994	71.6	75.9	70.9	74.6	77.1	75.6	75.4
1993	71.9	75.5	70.1	74.5	76.5	75.4	75.7
1992	71.5	75.5	71.0	74.4	77.4	75.5	75.6
1991	71.6	75.0	71.0	74.4	76.5	74.7	75.1
1990	71.0	75.0	70.6	74.4	77.1	75.2	75.3
1989	71.4	75.9	71.4	74.1	77.4	76.1	74.8
1988	71.8	75.7	70.8	74.1	77.4	75.6	75.3

Every position with the exception of RB has gotten taller on average over time. The average height of running backs at the combine in 1988 was 70.8 inches. The average height of running backs at the combine in 2023 was 70.4 inches. There were a few years were the average running back was just under six feet tall.

For offensive line guys, it’s also interesting to see how average weight have changed over the years at the combine.

Tackles have always been taller, but guards have gotten taller and much much heavier than they were 25 years ago. The average guard at the combine in 1988 was 75.6 inches tall and weighed 276.2 pounds. The average guard at the combine in 2021 was 76.3 inches tall and weighed 313.4 pounds which was more than the average OT weight (311.3).

Year	OT	OT	OG	OG	OC	OC
2023	78.1	315.6	76.1	312.4	75.5	304.1
2022	78.0	318.1	76.4	315.4	75.5	301.8
2021	78.1	311.3	76.3	313.4	75.6	308.4
2020	77.5	317.0	76.0	315.6	75.3	307.3
2019	77.7	313.8	75.9	308.9	75.4	305.5
2018	78.0	308.2	75.7	313.1	75.4	303.9
2017	78.0	311.0	76.0	312.6	75.2	300.9
2016	77.6	312.4	76.2	309.7	74.9	299.7
2015	77.8	312.3	76.1	319.1	75.0	301.7
2014	77.7	311.8	75.9	314.4	75.4	306.1
2013	77.6	314.2	75.6	315.9	75.5	306.7
2012	77.7	314.5	76.2	316.4	74.7	301.4
2011	77.6	318.3	76.1	311.2	74.8	302.9
2010	77.8	316.0	76.1	314.1	75.7	304.2
2009	77.6	312.9	75.7	316.7	75.0	300.9
2008	77.5	314.1	76.1	309.5	75.9	302.1
2007	77.4	311.4	75.6	314.1	75.0	299.2
2006	77.8	318.5	75.9	320.8	75.4	302.8
2005	78.0	317.1	76.3	316.8	75.6	306.2
2004	78.0	318.3	76.4	314.9	75.2	301.9
2003	77.6	315.6	76.4	316.0	74.8	299.7
2002	77.7	319.5	75.8	317.6	75.1	297.6
2001	77.3	326.7	76.0	308.4	75.1	302.0
2000	77.0	320.1	75.7	310.4	75.3	292.5
1999	77.7	321.5	75.9	311.7	75.6	304.7
1998	77.3	314.5	76.0	311.1	75.8	297.1
1997	77.3	311.4	75.9	305.3	75.9	296.3
1996	77.5	310.7	75.5	303.3	74.8	295.4
1995	77.0	307.6	75.8	307.9	74.5	290.1
1994	77.1	304.4	75.6	301.7	75.4	293.1
1993	76.5	306.3	75.4	299.3	75.7	286.4
1992	77.4	299.2	75.5	292.7	75.6	289.9
1991	76.5	292.3	74.7	287.3	75.1	286.3
1990	77.1	283.9	75.2	281.2	75.3	282.8
1989	77.4	286.8	76.1	288.7	74.8	273.0
1988	77.4	285.9	75.6	276.2	75.3	275.1

The increase in the average weight of guards is substantial, but it is not new. The big jump happened in the early 90s when the average guard went from 290 to 300 pounds, then all the way up to 310 pounds in the late 90s. The average weight for guards at the combine peaked in 2006 at 320.8 pounds. It came close to that again in 2015. The peak for OT weight came in 2001 at 326.7 pounds. It came all the way down to 308.2 pounds in 2018. That’s not too different from the average weight for tackles at the combine in 1993 which was 306.3 pounds.

Centers have been fairly stable since the initial “weight gain” that hit all OL positions in the late 80s. The average weight for centers at the combine in 1996 was 295.4 pounds. The average weight for centers at the combine in 2022 was 301.8 pounds.

For those who like color-coded tables (apologies to those readers who are color-blind) below is the OL height weight average table by year showing green as high values and red as low values.

I plan to do this same study for defensive players at the combine during the lull and boredom that occurs after the draft.

Link: https://www.milehighreport.com/2023/4/5/23671222/nfl-players-getting-bigger-offense