Who are the tallest players in NFL history?
A player’s height matters more at some positions than others. Let’s look back at the tallest players throughout league history and how they fared at the NFL level.
Tallest NFL Players in History: Towering Over the Competition
This list only features players who actually made an NFL team’s active 53-man roster. That means players who were only on a team’s offseason roster or practice squad won’t be listed below. So, for instance, 6’11” offensive lineman Matt O’Donnell isn’t eligible for this list since he was never on the Cincinnati Bengals’ 53-man active roster.
1. Richard Sligh, Oakland Raiders, 7’0″
As the NFL’s only seven-footer, former Raiders defensive tackle Richard Sligh is the tallest player in league history. Weighing in at 300 pounds, he played eight games for the Raiders. He even appeared in Super Bowl II as a reserve, which Oakland lost to the Packers.
2T) Dan Skipper, Detroit Lions, 6’10”
There are a few guys listed at 6’10” in NFL history, but Skipper is the only one who is still an active player. The 325-pound Skipper is currently on his fourth stint with the Lions. The offensive tackle was a Consensus All-American at Arkansas. Since then, he’s bounced around the NFL quite a bit, but he has a Super Bowl ring thanks to his time with the New England Patriots, who won Super Bowl LIII while Skipper was there.
2T) Morris Stroud, Kansas City Chiefs, 6’10”
If tight end Morris Stroud played today, he might be one of the best tight ends in the NFL. However, he was sparsely used when he played in the early 1970s, catching only 54 balls in five years. That said, he averaged an incredible 18.1 yards per reception.
More notably, his height compelled the league to change its rules. Stroud used to line up under the goalposts on opponents’ field goal attempts so he could try to knock the ball away before it went through the uprights. The NFL determined that was simply unfair. Score one for the little guy.
4T) Ed Jones, Dallas Cowboys, 6’9″
The guy was nicknamed Ed “Too Tall” Jones, so of course he appears on this list. One of the most dominant defensive linemen of his era, Jones anchored the Cowboys’ defense for 15 seasons, compiling 106 sacks while racking up three Pro Bowl selections. He was the first pick taken in 1974 after sacking opposing quarterbacks 38 times at Tennessee State.
4T) Jonathan Ogden, Baltimore Ravens, 6’9″
The best offensive tackle of all time? No doubt, Johnathan Ogden would be at or near the top of that list. The No. 4 overall pick of the 1996 NFL Draft, Ogden played 12 dominant seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl every year after his rookie campaign while eventually becoming his franchise’s first Pro Football Hall of Famer.
4T) Alejandro Villanueva, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, 6’9″
After playing college football for Army, he completed three deployments in Afghanistan as an Army Ranger. For rescuing wounded soldiers amidst heavy enemy fire, he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor. The Philadelphia Eagles went on to sign him in 2014, and although he was soon cut, the Pittsburgh Steelers jumped at the chance to add a player with his height and athleticism. While he played on both sides of the ball in college, Villanueva transitioned to offensive tackle for Pittsburgh, where he started 90 games. He wrapped up his career with 17 starts in Baltimore in 2021 before retiring in early 2022.
4T) Caleb Jones, Green Bay Packers, 6’9″
The Packers signed Caleb Jones in 2022, and he spent two seasons with Green Bay. The right tackle weighs in at a robust 370 pounds. Jones is currently a member of the New England Patriots’ practice squad. As a junior in college, his Indiana Hoosiers led the Big Ten in the fewest sacks allowed per game.
7T) Harold Carmichael, Philadelphia Eagles, 6’8″
Harold Carmichael was ahead of his time, or one of the best of his era. Perhaps both! The giant wide receiver became one of the Eagles’ best skill players ever. He finished his career No. 5 all-time in catches and No. 7 in touchdown receptions. He retired as his team’s all-time leader in catches, receiving yards, receiving scores, and total scores.
7T) Jared Veldheer, Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals, 6’8″
A third-round draft pick in 2010, offensive tackle Jared Veldheer used his size to help five NFL teams: primarily the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals, followed briefly by stints with the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, and Indianapolis Colts.
MORE: Who Are the Shortest Players in NFL History?
He started 114 games, during which he recovered three of his team’s fumbles — including a critically important one in the fourth quarter of a Week 14 win with the Cardinals in that team’s playoff-bound season.
7T) Dan McGwire, Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins, 6’8″
The younger brother of Major League Baseball’s Mark McGwire, Dan McGwire played in the NFL for five seasons, including four with the Seattle Seahawks. The former first-round pick couldn’t build on his extraordinary college success at the NFL level. In fairness, it didn’t help that Seattle struggled to build a team around him — in particular, a mostly Brian Blades-or-bust receiving corps.
7T) Trent Brown, Cincinnati Bengals, 6’8″
Brown was selected in the seventh round (No. 244) of the 2015 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, where he played from 2015 to 2017. He is currently a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, but he has also had stints with the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders. Brown earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2019, and he won a Super Bowl ring with the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII alongside Dan Skipper, meaning the Pats had two of the tallest players in NFL history on their squad.
Who Was the Tallest NFL Player of All Time?
As highlighted above, defensive tackle Richard Sligh is the tallest NFL player of all time, standing at exactly seven-feet tall. A 10th-round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft, he remains the tallest to this day, despite the gradual increase in the average height of American men since then.
Who Is the Tallest Player Currently in the NFL?
Dan Skipper remains the tallest active player in the NFL.
He’s currently on the Lions’ active 53-man roster, and he has been a steady contributor in this league for years.