DMD Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Since there has been a lot of talk about how much bigger players are now versus in the past, I did a quick comparison. Below are the heights and weights of players drafted in the first five rounds or so of the 1982 NFL draft versus the same for the incoming rookie class (using a generic ranking system for the top players). Surprisingly, there wasn't nearly the difference that I thought I would find. Linemen are about 20 pounds heavier now - especially tight ends. But overall, not nearly the difference that I thought 25 years would show. I was going to write an article about it but there just isn't enough there to warrant it. Pos 1982 Wt Ht Pos 2007 Wt HtC Jim Romano 260 6' 3'' C Ryan Kalil 291 6’3"C Mike Baab 279 6' 4'' C Samson Satele 294 6’2"C Rich Umphrey 260 6' 3'' C Dustin Fry 326 6’3"CB Paul Lankford 184 6' 2'' CB *Darrelle Revis 190 6’0"CB Bruce McNorton 175 5' 11' CB Daymeion Hughes 192 5’10"DB Rod Hill 186 6' 0'' DB LaRon Landry 205 6’2"DB Jim Burroughs 192 6' 1'' DB *Reggie Nelson 195 6’0"DB Vernon Dean 178 5' 11' DB Brandon Meriweather 192 5’11"DB Bobby Watkins 184 5' 10' DB Josh Gattis 206 6’1"DE Glen Collins 260 6' 6'' DE Gaines Adams 260 6’5"DE Booker Reese 260 6' 6'' DE *Jamaal Anderson 274 6’6"DE Keith Baldwin 265 6' 5'' DE Adam Carriker 292 6’6"DE Jeff Bryant 268 6' 5'' DE *Charles Johnson 272 6’2"DE Ken Sims 272 6' 5'' DE *Jarvis Moss 252 6’6"DT Malcolm Taylor 278 6' 6'' DT *Alan Branch 330 6’6"G Sean Farrell 260 6' 3'' G Ben Grubbs 315 6’3"G Roy Foster 275 6' 4'' G Arron Sears 317 6’3"G Terry Tausch 275 6' 5'' G Justin Blalock 331 6’4"G Mike Munchak 281 6' 3'' G Manuel Ramirez 335 6’3"G Ron Hallstrom 290 6' 6'' G Josh Beekman 315 6’2"LB Jeff Rohrer 225 6' 3'' LB Paul Posluszny 237 6’1"LB Calvin Daniels 240 6' 3'' LB *Lawrence Timmons 232 6’3"LB Andre Tippett 240 6' 3'' LB Patrick Willis 240 6’1"LB Bruce Scholtz 241 6' 6'' LB *Brandon Siler 238 6’2"LB Bob Crable 230 6' 3'' LB Rufus Alexander 227 6’1"LB Jack Squirek 230 6' 4'' LB *Jon Beason 232 6’0"LB Johnie Cooks 251 6' 4'' LB Earl Everett 235 6’2"LB Chip Banks 233 6' 4'' LB Stewart Bradley 256 6’4"QB Art Schlichter 210 6' 2'' QB *JaMarcus Russell 252 6’5"QB Jim McMahon 191 6' 1'' QB Brady Quinn 228 6’4"QB Oliver Luck 196 6'2" QB Trent Edwards 222 6’4"QB Matt Kofler 192 6' 3'' QB Troy Smith 222 6’0"QB Mike Pagel 206 6' 3'' QB Drew Stanton 226 6’3"RB Darrin Nelson 188 5' 9'' RB *Adrian Peterson 218 6’2"RB Gerald Riggs 231 6' 1'' RB *Marshawn Lynch 220 5’11"RB Marcus Allen 205 6' 2'' RB *Michael Bush 248 6’2"RB Walter Abercrombie 210 6' 0'' RB Kenny Irons 198 5’11"RB Barry Redden 210 5' 10'' RB Tony Hunt 239 6’2"RB Butch Woolfolk 215 6' 1'' RB *Antonio Pittman 195 5’11"RB Gerald Willhite 200 5' 10'' RB Lorenzo Booker 188 5’11"RB Robert Weathers 220 6' 2'' RB *Darius Walker 212 5’10"RB Joe Morris 195 5' 7'' RB *Dwayne Wright 222 6’0"T Luis Sharpe 275 6' 4'' T Joe Thomas 310 6’7"T Bubba Paris 300 6' 6'' T Levi Brown 323 6’6"T Reggie McElroy 281 6' 6'' T Tony Ugoh 301 6’6"T Darryl Haley 270 6' 5'' T Joe Staley 296 6’6"T Tootie Robbins 303 6' 5'' T Marshall Yanda 304 6’4"T Wally Kersten 270 6' 5'' T Doug Free 305 6’7"T Phil Pozderac 230 6' 9'' T James Marten 303 6’8"TE Lawrence Sampleton 233 6' 5'' TE *Zach Miller 260 6’5"TE Tim Wrightman 237 6' 4'' TE *Greg Olsen 252 6’5"TE Jerry Bell 230 6' 5'' TE Scott Chandler 268 6’7"TE Pete Metzelaars 245 6' 7 TE Matt Spaeth 262 6’7"TE Vyto Kab 250 6' 5'' TE Martrez Milner 256 6’4"WR Anthony Hancock 200 6' 0'' WR *Calvin Johnson 228 6’4"WR Lindsay Scott 194 6' 1'' WR Dwayne Bowe 222 6’2"WR Perry Tuttle 178 6' 0'' WR *Dwayne Jarrett 210 6’5"WR Mike Quick 190 6' 2'' WR *Ted Ginn Jr. 180 6’0"WR Orlando McDaniel 180 6' 0'' WR *Sidney Rice 205 6’4"WR Mark Duper 187 5' 9'' WR *Robert Meachem 210 6’3"WR Cedric Jones 184 6' 1'' WR Craig Davis 200 6’1"WR Stacey Bailey 160 6' 0'' WR *Anthony Gonzalez 195 6’0"WR Eugene Goodlow 190 6' 2'' WR Steve Smith 195 6’0"WR Kenny Duckett 187 5' 11'' WR Johnnie Lee Higgins 182 5’11" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grits and Shins Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 You'd think that by now DMD would have that whole formating thing figured out ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlas Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 I had heard a statistic, oh..about 1-2 years ago.......that the number of 300 lbs+ linemen starting in the NFL today dwarfs the amount a couple of decades ago. Something like 5 in the entire NFL to 55. Don't quote me on the numbers, but that may be the direction to go. Its quiet possible that the steroid influnce took over AFTER the draft, ....while in the NFL camps. Or maybe it was the more advanced lifting practices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menudo Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) In 1982, Menudo was roughly 4'3" and 65 pounds (8 years old) In 2007, Menudo is 6'0" and 240 pounds (32 years old) Edited February 16, 2007 by Menudo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlas Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 In 1982, Menudo was roughly 4'3" and 65 pounds (8 years old) In 2007, Menudo is 6'0" and 240 pounds (32 years old) 'roids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 Surprisingly, there wasn't nearly the difference that I thought I would find. Linemen are about 20 pounds heavier now - especially tight ends. But overall, not nearly the difference that I thought 25 years would show. It looks to me like the offensive lineman are significantly bigger than they were 25 years ago. Same with QBs, and to a lesser extent, WR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 (edited) I always thought it was spoke of in terms of muscle mass/body fat and not actual size. When looking at players back in the 70s & early 80s they didn't seem to have the same conditioning & muscle tone the guys playing now do. Edited February 16, 2007 by rajncajn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted February 17, 2007 Share Posted February 17, 2007 I wonder if the gap from each group would be as close after each class had a couple of years in the NFL. Is it the NFL strength and conditioning that bulks up the players to where they seem so much bigger now than in the early 80's. Would the numbers be a close (from a weight standpoint) as it seems right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seahawks21 Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 I will be very interested to look back at this in another ten years or so. I think right now we are really starting to see an influx of "freaks". WR's, LB's and DB's in particular are starting to become incredibly fast, huge people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted February 18, 2007 Share Posted February 18, 2007 Since there has been a lot of talk about how much bigger players are now versus in the past, I did a quick comparison. Below are the heights and weights of players drafted in the first five rounds or so of the 1982 NFL draft versus the same for the incoming rookie class (using a generic ranking system for the top players). Surprisingly, there wasn't nearly the difference that I thought I would find. Linemen are about 20 pounds heavier now - especially tight ends. But overall, not nearly the difference that I thought 25 years would show. I was going to write an article about it but there just isn't enough there to warrant it. DT Malcolm Taylor 278 6' 6'' DT *Alan Branch 330 6’6" G Sean Farrell 260 6' 3'' G Ben Grubbs 315 6’3" G Roy Foster 275 6' 4'' G Arron Sears 317 6’3" G Terry Tausch 275 6' 5'' G Justin Blalock 331 6’4" G Mike Munchak 281 6' 3'' G Manuel Ramirez 335 6’3" G Ron Hallstrom 290 6' 6'' G Josh Beekman 315 6’2" T Luis Sharpe 275 6' 4'' T Joe Thomas 310 6’7" T Bubba Paris 300 6' 6'' T Levi Brown 323 6’6" T Reggie McElroy 281 6' 6'' T Tony Ugoh 301 6’6" T Darryl Haley 270 6' 5'' T Joe Staley 296 6’6" T Tootie Robbins 303 6' 5'' T Marshall Yanda 304 6’4" T Wally Kersten 270 6' 5'' T Doug Free 305 6’7" T Phil Pozderac 230 6' 9'' T James Marten 303 6’8" I dunno, Dave - one thing that skews things is that you only have ONE DT listed for each group - and the size difference is significant between the two. The OGs also seem to be running a 40+ lbs heavier than their '82 counterparts - I recall that Ron Hallstrom was regarded as being "huge" back then; 6'6" is tall for a G, but his 290 lbs would probably be regarded as bit light. Same with Bubba Paris - he was regarded as a man-mountain at the time but he'd be average-to-smallish today. And a prospect like Phil Pozderac would be converted to TE at 6'9" 230. One thing to note - in '88 (or maybe '87) the Colts became the first team to average 300 lbs with their starting linemen. I don't think any team aside from Denver averages less than 300 lbs on their starting OL now. Basically, the positions where speed is less important than mass have gotten larger - interior DL, OT, QB. The rest have remained static because at a certain point, increased mass will start to affect necessary speed. DBs, RBs, and WRs - and LBs and DEs to a lesser extent - will very rarely get above a certain weight because that will start to slow them down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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