Ranking NFL's 10 Most Physically Imposing Players
Even in the NFL, some athletes are just different.
In honor of the late, great Larry Allen, Bleacher Report wanted to look at some of those individuals who are on a different plane when it comes to physical prowess.
With Allen's untimely death, many took to social media to recall the amazing things he did as, arguably, the most powerful individual to have played the game. His feats of strength and athleticism for a 6'3", 325-pound man bordered on mythical.
As a whole, the game is now played by athletes, who are bigger, stronger and faster than at any point in its history. Because of the investments by individuals—both financially and time-wise—and advancements in sports science, players can harness and fully maximize their athletic potential. Some are more blessed than others, though.
The following 10 names create nightmares for opposing teams, because they're so gifted that they might as well be considered otherworldly.
10. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
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Historically, quarterbacks are pretty boys who aren't going to get physically involved in the game. The NFL has done its best to ensure the position is protected at all costs.
Josh Allen isn't built like a normal quarterback, nor does he play the game as such.
There's no dad bod here. He's a 6'5", 237-pound tank who will run over opponents if necessary.
"You can't tame a bucking bronco, and that's what he is," general manager Brandon Beane told reporters in January. "He seeks contact. If he was a basketball player, he'd always try to get the and-one. He's not avoiding contact. He wants it. He brings it himself.
"It's just who he is."
The 28-year-old also has a howitzer strapped to his right arm, too. The signal-caller can threaten every blade of grass, throwing seeds to all three levels.
Allen is talented, creative and tough. He can beat an opponent in every way imaginable, which is a large reason why the Bills own a 64-34 regular-season record since he joined the squad.
9. RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
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Derrick Henry may have hit the dreaded age-30 plateau, but this running back doesn't appear to be slowing down.
Once this freight train gets rolling, it's hard to stop. Last season, the 2016 No. 45 pick still finished second with 1,167 rushing yards despite playing behind the league's worst offensive line.
The 6'3", 247-pounder remains a frightening sight when running in the open field. After eight seasons with the Tennessee Titans, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. Basically, the Ravens got sick of trying to tackle Henry for all of those years.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters in March:
"Well, defensively, he's just real football. There's one thing to have a reputation, it's another thing to have the challenge of defending him. Just the fact that you have to tackle him. If he gets a head of steam, whether it's in the A gap or outside—he took a fake reverse about 70 yards against us last year in London. You don't forget those things. Those things sting, and they stay stinging for a long time. So, we respect him, and he's going to help us."
8. DL Dexter Lawrence II, New York Giants
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A whole lot of beef can be found along the New York Giants defensive front, and that's just including nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
The 6'4", 340-pounder has developed into a Pro Bowl-caliber wrecking ball. Good luck trying to handle him one-on-one, because it's not going to happen.
With Aaron Donald's retirement this offseason, an argument can be made in Lawrence's favor that he's the game's best defensive tackle. If boiled down further, he's clearly the league's top nose tackle.
The 26-year-old received back-to-back second-team All-Pro nods. He's still getting better.
"Honestly, Coach Dre (Patterson) kind of shifted my mindset to work on things I wasn't good at," Lawrence told reporters last week. "Kudos to him for helping me think about things that I wasn't necessarily—you know, you go to your natural habits to do what you can to improve in the game."
Keep the previous point in mind and then consider the following: Lawrence's 81 quarterback pressures while working from nose tackle over the two seasons are 65 more than anyone else has generated, per Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus.
7. OT Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
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San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams is a little older—he turns 36 next month—and a little wiser. And he can still be a force of nature when he wants to.
The Oklahoma product has generally been considered the league's best left tackle for numerous seasons. He's been named to 11 Pro Bowls and three straight first-team All-Pro squads. His mobility and power form a lethal duo.
The 14-year veteran has the rare combination of movement skills that allows him to scoop and cut off defenders from an inside alignment, with the raw power and upper-body torque to manhandle them once engaged.
"For one, he's an unbelievable athlete," former teammate Javon Kinlaw told Kevin Clark of This Is Football. "So I see some players who say that he gives away what's going on but it don't matter because he's going to block the s--t out of you. The technique, the hand-eye coordination, just the explosion...broke the mold when they made him."
Age and a few smaller injuries over the last couple of seasons hold Williams back ever so slightly among these rankings.
6. S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
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As Kyle Hamilton prepared for the 2022 NFL draft, the safety prospect was viewed as that class' unicorn.
The 23-year-old is a 6'4", 220-pound defensive back with 33-inch arms and a relative athletic score that exceeds nine (out of 10), per Pro Football Talk's Kent Lee Platte.
All the right measurables is merely the starting point. Hamilton is a complete defender capable of lining up and doing whatever the coaching staff asks of him.
In late May, Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr told reporters:
"The thing about him being the ultimate chess piece [is], depending on what the offense does, he can play anywhere. He can play safety, deep safety, box safety; he can play corner, he can play nickel, he can play backer, he can even play outside linebacker, too, and you guys know he can rush the passer.
"The thing that you appreciate about Kyle Hamilton is, is he works at it, he's a smart player, so he can handle all the different volume that you get him. I think he's eager, going into his third year, to do more, so we'll see."
5. OT Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
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Penei Sewell entered the NFL as a 20-year-old rookie who didn't play the previous season because of COVID-19 precautions. Within three years, he's become the most physically imposing offensive lineman the league has to offer.
The Detroit Lions blocker still has issues with consistency, though his power at the point of attack coupled with an ability to attack and obliterate defenders in space is a sight to behold. He can be overwhelming and highly competitive, and he's already good enough to grade among the league's best.
Sewell ranked as the best run-blocker among tackles last season while finishing second in pressure rate allowed, per Pro Football Focus. As a result of his standout play, the right tackle earned his first All-Pro nod.
"I'm just more comfortable with everything and I've experienced more at the end of the day," he told ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "And the game is slower and that's pretty much it."
The 6'5", 335-pound offensive lineman is still an ascending performer, who should dominate for the Lions over the next eight-to-10 years.
4. WR DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
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From a pure physical standpoint, DK Metcalf easily captures the title as the NFL's most intimidating wide receiver.
At 6'4" and 229 pounds, with a body chiseled from granite, the Seattle Seahawks star has continually left the mouths of many agape based on how impressive he is.
A pic of himself shirtless after a predraft workout almost didn't look real. During the NFL combine, the wide receiver ran a staggering 4.33-second 40-yard dash and posted a 40.5-inch vertical jump.
In Year 2 of his professional career, Metcalf quickly reached legendary status by chasing down Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker, who looked to have a sure 98-yard pick-six.
In five seasons, the 26-year-old contributed 5,332 receiving yards and 43 touchdowns, with a couple of Pro Bowl appearances. Really, he's physically dominating without being the cleanest route-runner.
"He has improved as a route runner—he doesn't run the entire route tree, but the routes he does run he's really good and can rip off a big play at any time," a veteran NFL defensive coach told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Really hard to tackle."
3. Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
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The pure explosiveness that Micah Parsons brings to the Dallas Cowboys can't be matched by any other defender.
The 25-year-old is a 6'3", 246-pound defender with a 40-yard dash time that ranged from high 4.3 to low 4.4 depending on who had the stopwatch at Penn State's pro day.
He's capable of playing off the edge and blowing past offensive tackles. He can play off ball and make plays sideline to sideline. He's a hybrid defender who can exploit any potential mismatch found among an opponent's front.
"Micah is a freak show, a game-wrecker," Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters in January. "You better know where he's at. And they do such a great job of moving him around. He can line up on the edge, he can line up at linebacker, 3-technique, at the 'shade.' They use multiple personnel groupings."
Since entering the league three years ago, Parsons already has 40.5 sacks. He has been named to three different All-Pro teams and made the Pro Bowl every season. He's now entered the territory of annual NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
2. WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
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Of those included on our list, the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill is the most unassuming as a 5'10", sub-200-pound wide receiver. But everyone understands exactly why the man dubbed "Cheetah" is here: game-altering speed.
"Cornerbacks are still so scared that he'll run by them that they give him a huge cushion, and he can win underneath," a veteran NFL scout told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
The 30-year-old has long held the title of the game's fastest player. His quickness provides true field-tilting potential for the Miami offense.
"Hill has been unbelievably valuable to my coaching career, this franchise," head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters. "We set out to do some ambitious things from the onset on top of him wanting to take his game to another level but also be a leader."
How valuable? He's produced a league-high 3,509 receiving yards over the last two seasons. CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys is the only other wide receiver to eclipse 3,000 yards during that same stretch, and he was still 401 yards behind Hill's output.
No matter the situation, opponents are in constant fear that Hill will blow the top off their defense.
1. Edge Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
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Cryptozoologists should be studying Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, because a being with his size, speed, fluidity and flexibility should not exist.
All chatter of who should have been the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year aside, the 28-year-old's raw skill set isn't comparable with anyone.
Garrett stands 6'4" and weighs 272 pounds. He's a full-sized edge defender capable of forklifting and controlling offensive tackles. He's quick enough to blow right by them off the snap.
Maybe the most impressive aspect of his entire toolbox of traits is how well he can dip his shoulder, lean without losing his balance with almost Gumby-like posture and turn the corner against blockers.
Again, he does all this at over 270 pounds. In fact, he was the heaviest player to manage 14 or more sacks last season.
"The definition of a great defense or player is when an opponent starts their game plan with, 'We're going to take care of this guy,'" Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz told reporters. "'We're not going to let this guy beat us.'
"He's still able to be effective. He's still able to play at a high level. ... In my career, I've really seen it from three players: I've seen it from Myles, I've seen it from Calvin Johnson, and I was a young quality control coach but I saw it from Ray Lewis as well."
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