Average Weight of NFL Defensive Backs in 2024
In the National Football League, a battleground where the slightest physical advantage can pivot the outcome of games, the stature of players garners immense attention. This season, a captivating question echoes across the gridiron:
“What’s the average weight of an NFL defensive back?”
These crucial members of the defense, celebrated for their swift, decisive movements and tight coverage abilities, embody a diverse spectrum of physical attributes on the field.
For this comprehensive analysis, I tallied the heights and weights of over 300 defensive backs from the opening-day rosters for the 2023 season. Join me on this journey as we zero in on the scales to uncover the average weight of defensive backs this season.
NFL DB Avg Weight
The average weight of an NFL defensive back in 2023 is 198 pounds.
While the overall average provides a useful baseline, it doesn’t fully capture the diversity in the weights of NFL defensive backs, who range significantly from the lightest at 174 pounds to the heftiest at 238 pounds.
To offer a more detailed perspective, we’ve segmented the players into 10-pound weight brackets and quantified the number of defensive backs within each range.
This approach allows us to present a clearer and more nuanced understanding of the weight distribution across the position, highlighting the varied physical profiles that these athletes bring to the field.
Defensive backs Weight Scale
| Weight Range | Number of Players |
|---|---|
| 170 – 179 | 9 |
| 180 – 189 | 46 |
| 190 – 199 | 122 |
| 200 – 209 | 114 |
| 210 – 219 | 38 |
| 220 – 229 | 6 |
| 230 – 239 | 1 |
By breaking the numbers down like this we can see that while the overall range may be relatively large (174 to 238 pounds), the actual range that almost half the players fall into is a pretty tight window of only twenty pounds.
When you take into consideration the average height of defensive backs is also a tight range, you can conclude that perhaps no other position in football has more of a “prototype” size than defensive back.
Which NFL Defensive Backs Weigh the Most?
Curious to know who the guys are toward the bottom of the table above?
Thought you might.
The 9 heaviest guys playing defensive back in the league all weigh over 215 pounds (and are all safeties).
| Name | Weight | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jabrill Peppers | 217 | FS | New England Patriots |
| Terrell Edmunds | 217 | S | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Kyle Dugger | 220 | S | New England Patriots |
| Jeremy Chinn | 220 | S | Carolina Panthers |
| Kyle Hamilton | 220 | S | Baltimore Ravens |
| JL Skinner | 220 | S | Denver Broncos |
| Miles Killebrew | 222 | SS | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Jayron Kearse | 227 | S | Dallas Cowboys |
| Isaiah Simmons | 238 | S | New York Giants |
Which NFL Defensive Backs Weigh the Least?
Just as interesting (or maybe even more so) as which guys weigh the most is which guys weigh the least.
The 9 lightest defensive backs in the NFL all weigh under 180 pounds.
| Name | Weight | Pos | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Gilmore | 174 | CB | Detroit Lions |
| Damontae Kazee | 174 | S | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Josh Blackwell | 175 | CB | Chicago Bears |
| Cordale Flott | 175 | CB | New York Giants |
| Ar’Darius Washington | 176 | S | Baltimore Ravens |
| Anthony Kendall | 177 | CB | Tennessee Titans |
| Dee Alford | 177 | CB | Atlanta Falcons |
| Mekhi Blackmon | 178 | CB | Minnesota Vikings |
| Levi Wallace | 179 | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Conclusion
As we wrap up our analysis of the average weight of NFL defensive backs this season, we uncover a fascinating insight: unlike some positions where player sizes vary widely, defensive backs tend to conform to a more standardized size range.
Our data revealed players weighing as light as 174 pounds and as heavy as 238 pounds. However, the bulk of these defensive backs fall within a relatively compact weight bracket.
This uniformity in size among defensive backs speaks volumes about the nature of their position. It highlights the critical balance they must maintain between speed, agility, and strength. These athletes embody a specific physical profile, finely tuned to meet the intense and diverse demands of their role on the field.
The nuances in weight, though minor, carry significant implications, offering unique advantages in play. Yet, the predominant narrative remains consistent: as a collective, defensive backs embody a physical standard that optimally equips them for their dynamic and high-pressure responsibilities in the game.
