The NFL Combine will take place February 26 – March 4.
Several drills are used at the Combine to get a better understanding of players’ strengths and weaknesses.
The Combine allows organizations to take a deep look at the draft prospects for the NFL Draft.
Some players can skyrocket their profile and draft position during the Combine.
Other players sometimes hurt their draft stock with a poor showing at the NFL Combine and their draft stock plummets.
The Combine has a major impact on the NFL Draft.
One big event at the NFL Combine is the bench press drill.
The bench press drill is used as a test of muscle strength and stamina, in which athletes lift 225 pounds (102 kg) as many times as possible.
Read on to see some of the records set during the bench press drill at the NFL Combine.
NFL Combine: Bench Press Records
The press bench drill tests a prospect’s muscle strength and stamina.
Athletes lift 225 pounds as many times as they possibly can.
This is not an easy drill.
Since 1994, only 20 players at the NFL Combine have managed to achieve more than 40 repetitions.
Only one player has recorded more than 50 repetitions.
Below is a list of the athletes who have recorded 40 or more repetitions at the NFL Combine.
- 51 reps: Justin Ernest (1999)
- 49 reps: Stephen Paea (2011)
- 45 reps: Mike Kudla (2006), Mitch Petrus (2010), and Leif Larsen (2000)
- 44 reps: Broderick Bunkley (2006), Jeff Owens (2010), Dontari Poe (2012), and Netane Muti (2020)
- 43 reps: Larry Allen (1994) and Scott Young (2005)
- 42 reps: Isaac Sopoaga (2004), Tank Tyler (2007), Russell Bodine (2014), and Harrison Phillips (2018)
- 41 reps: Igor Olshansky (2004), Terna Nande (2006), David Molk (2012), Jordan Roos (2017), and Vita Vea (2018)
Seven offensive linemen and twelve defensive linemen make up the top 20 NFL Combine bench press in history.
Terna Nande is the only non offensive or defensive linemen to make the top 20 list.
Nande was a linebacker.
Average Bench Press At NFL Combine Per Position
Offensive and defensive linemen typically post the most bench press on average.
There are no bench press numbers for Quarterbacks and specialists, as they hardly ever participate in the drill.
- Offensive & Defensive Linemen: 30-39 reps
- Tight End & Linebackers: 25-30 reps
- Running Backs: 20-25 reps
- Defensive Backs: 15-20 reps
Offensive and defensive linemen dominate this drill.
Tight ends and linebackers also perform well in this drill.
Running backs and defensive backs are typically smaller, which is why this drill is not used heavily to evaluate the prospects at these two positions.
Position Dates For NFL Combine
The NFL Combine will take place February 26 – March 4.
Here is when each position will do drills for the NFL Combine.
- Thursday, February 29th, at 3pm ET: Defensive Lineman, Linebackers
- Friday, March 1st, at 3pm ET: Defensive Backs, Tight Ends
- Saturday, March 2nd, at 1pm ET: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs
- Sunday, March 3rd, at 1pm ET: Offensive Linemen
You can catch the NFL Combine on NFL Network.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
