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After months and years of showing off their strength on tape, NFL draft prospects at the NFL combine get to show it off in the rawest form: the bench press.
Players who participate in the bench press at the combine are tasked with bench pressing a 225-pound barbell as many times as they can until failure. Defensive linemen — either interior guys or edge rushers — are generally the most successful, followed closely by interior offensive linemen.
Every player in the top 10 of most bench press reps at the NFL combine is either a defensive lineman or an interior offensive lineman.
Here’s who set the NFL combine bench press record and when it happened:
NFL combine bench press record
The NFL combine bench press record is 49 reps of 225 pounds, set by Stephen Paea in 2011. At the time, the defensive lineman was a consensus All-America selection from Oregon State. He went on to hear his name called in the second round by the Chicago Bears.
Paea set the new mark just one year after offensive guard Mitch Petrus entered the three-way tie for the NFL combine record with 45 bench press reps.
In the 13 times the NFL combine has taken place since, only eight other players have surpassed 40 reps on the bench press. None of them have reached even 45 reps, though defensive tackle Dontari Poe got to 44 in 2012, and offensive guard Netane Muti also reached 44 in 2020.
Best NFL bench press performances
Since 2000, 16 players have reached or surpassed 40 reps on the bench press at the NFL combine.
Here are all of the players to accomplish the feat and how many reps they completed, according to the NFL combine’s official results:
- 1. DT Stephen Paea, 49 reps (2011)
- T-2. OL Mitch Petrus, 45 reps (2010)
- T-2. DL Mike Kudla, 45 reps (2006)
- T-2. DT Leif Larsen, 45 reps (2000)
- T-5. OG Netane Muti, 44 reps (2020)
- T-5. DT Dontari Poe, 44 reps (2012)
- T-5. DT Jeff Owens, 44 reps (2010)
- T-5. DL Brodrick Bunkley, 44 reps (2006)
- T-9. DT Harrison Phillips, 42 reps (2018)
- T-9. C Russell Bodine, 42 reps (2014)
- T-9. DL Tank Tyler, 42 reps (2007)
- T-12. DT Vita Vea, 41 reps (2018)
- T-12. C David Molk, 41 reps (2012)
- T-12. LB Terna Nande, 41 reps (2006)
- T-15. OL Justin Blalock, 40 reps (2007)
- T-15. OL Manny Ramirez, 40 reps (2007)
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