Strength, physicality and fitness are just some of the tools that are needed to become a success in the National Football League.
However for some players around the league, it is the predominant tool that they need to do their job. With some of the size of players in the league, particularly offensive and defensive linemen who can weigh anywhere in the region of 300lbs or more, there is no point trying to either be one of them or beat them if you don’t have any strength in your body.
Which is why there are plenty of players around the league who put a lot of work into making sure that they are in the best shape physically in order to ensure they don’t fall by the wayside by letting their physical attributes get in the way.Â
Take for instance Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who in a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel claims that he spends $1m a year on his body so that he can compete until he is 45 years old, a littl bit of proof that staying in shape at the top level doesn’t come easily.
NFL players come in all shapes and sizes as a result of their positions that they play, and whilst there are a few exceptions, such as Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry who is listed at 6’3 and 247lbs and built more like a linebacker than he is your typical speedy running back (such as his former teammate Dion Lewis who is 5’8 and 195lbs), there are a lot of players who still manage to get the best out of their bodies and have the results to show for it.
But just who does have the best physique in the league?
We at GiveMeSport have put together our list of who we judge to be the top ten most physically gifted and ‘ripped’ athletes that the league has to offer, in ascending order:
10 - Bobby Wagner - Linebacker
9 - Christian McCaffrey - Running back
8 - T.J. and J.J. Watt - Defensive line and edge rusher
7 - Saquon Barkley - Running back
6 - Khalil Mack - Edge rusher
5 - David Njoku - Tight End
4 - Aaron Donald - Defensive tackle
3 - DK Metcalf - Wide receiver
2 - Derrick Henry - Running back
1 - Myles Garrett - Defensive End
Via flash_garrett on Instagram
As sports science and training techniques get better in the years to come, there are likely to be a lot more players that can challenge these guys physically, but whether or not they’ll be able to top these guys will be a different matter entirely.