The average NFL wide receiver weighs 200 lbs. This is 45 pounds less than the NFL average weight of 245 pounds. The average NFL wide receiver is 6 ft 1.
Why Are NFL Wide Receivers So Light?
NFL wide receivers are some of the lightest players on the field. This is because wide receivers need to make long runs down the field as quickly as possible. This is why NFL wide receivers resemble sprinters with some extra muscle!
When you are sprinting 50 yards down the field and want to blow past the cornerback you don’t want any excess muscle or fat holding you down. At the same time you want to be tall enough so you have a nice long stride and you require some muscle to handle the physical nature of the sport. The result is NFL wide receivers are tall, lean and muscular but not overly bulky. The ideal NFL wide receiver body type is 6 ft 2 and 210 pounds.
How Do NFL Wide Receivers Compare to Other NFL Positions?
Only kickers and cornerbacks are lighter than NFL wide receivers. The average offensive lineman is more than 100 pounds heavier than the average NFL wide receivers.
| NFL | lbs |
| Offensive Line | 314 |
| Linebacker | 245 |
| Quarterback | 225 |
| Running Back | 214 |
| Wide Receiver | 200 |
| Defensive Back | 200 |
Are NFL Wide Receivers Bigger Than College Football Wide Receivers?
NFL wide receivers are on average 10 pounds heavier than college football wide receivers. NFL wide receivers weigh 200 pounds while college receivers weigh 190 pounds.
NFL wide receivers are slightly taller than college receivers (6 ft 1 vs 5 ft 11) and carry some extra muscle mass. NFL rookie receivers are often expected to put on some extra muscle mass to handle the intensity of the NFL. Also NFL wide receivers are selected from the very best college football players and therefore tend to be genetically gifted and have optimum physiques for the position.
Are NFL Wide Receivers Bigger Than the Average American Male?
Did you know the average American male weighs 196 pounds? This is almost exactly the same weight as the average NFL wide receiver who clocks in at 200 pounds. However, they have very different physiques!
The average NFL wide receiver is 6 ft 1 and very lean at 12% body fat. NFL wide receivers have significant amounts of muscle mass. While the average American male is 5 ft 9 and 30% body fat with virtually zero visible muscle mass.
At 5 ft 9 the average American man would have a serious tough time making it in the NFL. However, there have been some incredible short wide receivers. Some of the best short NFL wide receivers include DeSean Jackson at 5 ft 9 and Wes Welker at 5 ft 8. Still, the average American would have to hit the weight room and lose some body fat as Welker was a lean 185 pounds in his prime.
Are NFL Wide Receivers Getting Bigger?
NFL wide receivers are one of the few NFL positions that have not changed much over the years. Overall players are a little taller, leaner and more muscular. But the position has not undergone significant change like defensive tackle or offensive tackle.
The ideal NFL wide receiver is 6 ft 2 and 210 pounds with the perfect combination of speed, explosiveness and strength. An NFL wide receiver should be lean with long arms and legs and enough muscle mass to handle contact and be quick explosive runs.
Wrapping Things Up
NFL wide receivers are some of the lightest players in the whole league with an average weight of 200 pounds. This may not seem light when compared to the general population but the average NFL weight is 245 pounds! The reason NFL wide receivers are below average in terms of weight is because they need to be super fast and gallop down the field at the same speed as Olympic sprinters. They don’t want extra muscle or fat slowing them down!
