The Top 10 Strongest NFL Players of All-Time

By Jason Bolton June 09, 2024 08:39

The classical sport of Football and Strength has gone side to side since eternity, and many a player can be remembered as someone who left an everlasting impact on the game with minds blown by their extraordinary physical skills.

Whether through jaw-dropping weightlifting feats or dominant on-field performances, these players have reshaped what it means to be a truly strong NFL player.

Fan Arch is taking it further and telling you who the NFL's 10 strongest players of all time are and giving you everything you need to know about them to back it up.

1. Larry Allen

Position: Guard

Years Played: 1994-2007

Height/Weight: 6’3”, 325 lbs

Larry Allen is one of the most powerful players ever to step onto the NFL field, regardless of which players might avoid the weight room in the years to come.

He was the powerhouse on an offensive line full of powerhouses for the Cowboys.

His bench numbers were absolutely insane as he benched over 600 and squatted an astounding 800 which is unreal.

His raw power and imposing presence on the field earned him the Strongest Man in the NFL at the 2006 Pro Bowl Skills Challenge, where he calmly busted out 43 reps with 225 lbs.

He garnered seven first-team All-Pro selections and eleven Pro-Bowl appearances during a career that culminated with his enshrinement into the Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

2. Jim Brown

Position: Running Back

Years Played: 1957-1965

Height/Weight: 6’2”, 232 lbs

Jim Brown stands among the greatest to have ever played at his position as a running back for the Cleveland Browns so he is known for being indestructible and extremely physical on the field.

With a fighting stance and intense power, Brown established himself as one of the strongest players in the history of the NFL.

He was a punishing, durable force who often drove whole defensive units back on their heels and earned his place in NFL lore as one of the finest running backs who ever played.

3. Rob Gronkowski

Position: Tight End

Years Played: 2010-2018, 2020-2021

Height/Weight: 6’6”, 265 lbs

Strong, athletic, durable and at times, unstoppable, Rob "Gronk" Gronkowski did his share of terrorizing the NFL.

Gronkowski was one of the most physically dominant tight ends ever to step on the field in the NFL.

His knack for out-muscling defenders and pulling in acrobatic receptions displayed his rare amalgam of brute strength and quickness, helping make him one of the most physically dominant players in the NFL.

4. Walter Payton

Position: Running Back

Years Played: 1975-1987

Height/Weight: 5’10”, 210 lbs

Walter Payton was an All-Pro running back for the Chicago Bears who showed remarkable power and stamina over his storied career. Payton's running style was bruising yet sweetened by speed and elusiveness, and he was a nightmare for defenders to tackle.

5. Jerick McKinnon

Position: Running Back

Years Played: 2014-Present

Height/Weight: 5’9”, 209 lbs

He's been an explosive athlete with unique strength for a player of his size playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.

His 32 reps of 225 pounds at the 2014 NFL Combine were nothing short of exceptional considering McKinnon's mass and feathery build.

This combines his influence on the game with his extraordinary physical power, which makes him one of the strongest NFL players to ever take to a field.

6. Nick Chubb

Position: Running Back

Years Played: 2018-Present

Height/Weight: 5’11”, 227 lbs

Nick Chubb, who is the current running back for the Cleveland Browns, has received praise from many for his outstanding power, and physicality in his play.

The majority of players in the NFL never compare physically with Megatron, and his production the impact he had on the game cements him as one of the most unstoppable players in history.

7. Connor McGovern

Position: Center

Years Played: 2016-Present

Height/Weight: 6’4”, 306 lbs

The strength of powerlifting numbers reported on him during his college days, as well as his incredible Olympic weightlifting skills which were on display in 2018 at a fitness festival, that go to his testament of how powerful he is in another way, the impact he has on the game.

Be it as it may, McGovern with a strong and dominating finish is of the strongest NFL Pro player to ever play the game.

8. Steve Courson

Position: Guard

Years Played: 1978-1985

Height/Weight: 6’1”, 274 lbs

Steve Courson, a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman, was one of the most powerful, strongest men anyone had ever met.

Courson's reported 605-pound bench press proves his freakish strength and the fear opposing teams had of him.

Combined with the influence he had in the game, and mixed his extraordinary strength as mentioned before, he secures his spot as one of the heftiest NFL players the game has ever seen.

9. Mike Webster

Position: Center

Years Played: 1974-1990

Height/Weight: 6’1”, 255 lbs

The late, great Mike Webster was a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his power-and-physicality playing style helped shape the NFL as we know it.

His 350-pound, 15-rep bench press was merely a sign of what was to come, as Webster used his incredible physical strength and power to dominate during his tenure, which allowed him to take home the honors of being the strongest player in the NFL in 1980.

Depending on which measurement you use for force, his on-field domination combined with his uncanny strength puts him as arguably the strongest player to ever play in the NFL.

10. Isaac Sopoaga

Position: Defensive Tackle

Years Played: 2004-2013

Height/Weight: 6’2”, 330 lbs

The former defensive tackle was known for his unreal strength and power during his time in the NFL, impressing as a weight room freak.

Sopoaga recorded a 500 pound bench, 700 plus squat and 42 reps on the bench at 225 at the NFL Combine.

These NFL players have certainly made a lasting impression on the game with their massive presence and the impacts they have had on the field.

Their impressive displays of strength and dominance have established them as amongst the most powerful and influential players the NFL has ever known, with their play helping to both shape the game and drive on a new generation of talent.