When you see a guy like Dan Skipper trotting onto the field for the Detroit Lions, your first thought probably isn't about his footwork or his hand placement. It’s usually more like, "How did they find a jersey that fits him?" Standing at a massive 6 feet 10 inches, Skipper is officially the tallest football player in the NFL right now.
He is a literal lighthouse in a sea of massive humans.
But here’s the thing—being that tall in the league isn’t always the cheat code you’d expect. While the average NFL player hovers around 6'2", once you cross that 6'7" threshold, things get weird. Leverage becomes a nightmare. Pad level is harder to maintain. You're basically a giant target for every defensive end who wants to get "under" you.
The Current King of the Hill: Dan Skipper
Skipper has turned his 6'10" frame into a survival story. He wasn’t a first-round lock; he actually went undrafted out of Arkansas back in 2017. Since then, he’s been a bit of a journeyman, bouncing around practice squads and active rosters before finding a real home in Detroit.
Lions fans absolutely love him. They even have a chant for him because he’s become such a reliable "extra tackle" in jumbo packages.
Most people don't realize that being the tallest player in the NFL isn't just about reaching high things. It's about weight management. Skipper weighs in at about 330 pounds, which sounds like a lot until you realize it’s spread over nearly seven feet of bone and muscle. He has to eat a staggering amount of calories just to keep from looking "skinny" by offensive line standards.
Who else is scraping the ceiling in 2026?
Skipper isn't alone up there, though he does have an inch or two on the rest of the pack. The "Twin Towers" of the NFL roster right now are mostly concentrated on the offensive line, but there are a few outliers.
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Caleb Jones (6'9")
Currently with the Green Bay Packers, Jones is a terrifying human being. He’s not just tall; he’s wide. We're talking 370 pounds. When he stands next to a "normal" 6'1" linebacker, it looks like a glitch in a video game.
Kolton Miller (6'9")
The Las Vegas Raiders' left tackle has been one of the most consistent big men in the game. Unlike some of the other giants who are strictly used for power, Miller is surprisingly athletic. He’s proof that you can be nearly seven feet tall and still move your feet well enough to protect a quarterback's blind side.
The 6'8" Club
This is where the list gets crowded. You've got guys like Trent Brown (Cincinnati Bengals), Orlando Brown Jr. (Cincinnati Bengals), and Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia Eagles).
Mailata is a particularly cool case. He was a rugby player from Australia who had never played a snap of American football before the Eagles took a flyer on him. Now, his 6'8", 365-pound frame is the cornerstone of one of the best lines in football.
What about the tallest players ever?
History is a little bit taller than the present. If we're looking at the all-time record, we have to talk about Richard Sligh. He played for the Oakland Raiders back in 1967 and stood at 7 feet tall.
Sligh is the only "true" seven-footer to ever play in a professional game.
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Then you had Morris Stroud, a 6'10" tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs in the early 70s. Legend has it he used to stand under the goalposts to try and swat down field goals. The NFL eventually made a rule against that—basically because of him.
The "Too Tall" Legend
You can’t talk about height in football without mentioning Ed "Too Tall" Jones. He stood 6'9" and played for the Dallas Cowboys for 15 seasons. He was so physically gifted that he actually left the NFL in the middle of his prime to become a professional boxer, went undefeated, and then came back to the Cowboys to keep terrorizing quarterbacks.
Jones changed the way scouts looked at defensive ends. Before him, being that tall was seen as a liability because of the "low man wins" rule of football. He proved that if you have long enough arms, you don't always need to be lower; you just need to be able to reach out and grab the guy.
Why aren't there more 7-footers?
It seems logical, right? If 6'10" is good, wouldn't 7'2" be better?
Not really.
In basketball, height is almost purely an advantage. In football, it’s a double-edged sword. Here is why the "tallest football player in the NFL" title rarely hits the 7-foot mark:
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- The Lever Problem: Physics is a jerk. A 7-footer has very long legs and a very long torso. That means a 6'1" defensive tackle can get his hands under the tall guy's chest and literally lift him off the ground.
- Joint Health: The NFL is brutal on knees and ankles. The more height you have, the more stress those joints take during sudden changes of direction.
- Center of Gravity: To block effectively, you need to stay "squat." Staying in a squatting position for three hours when you’re 6'10" is an incredible feat of core strength.
Tallest by Position (A Quick Look)
While the offensive line owns the height records, other positions have their own giants.
- Quarterback: Justin Herbert is currently one of the tallest at 6'6". Historically, Dan McGwire (brother of baseball's Mark McGwire) was the tallest at 6'8", though his career didn't quite reach the heights his stature suggested.
- Tight End: Along with the historic Morris Stroud, Donald Parham Jr. is a modern standout at 6'8". He’s basically a walking mismatch in the red zone.
- Defensive Line: Calais Campbell (6'8") has used his height to block more passes at the line of scrimmage than almost anyone in history. He's got wingspan for days.
Honestly, watching these guys is a reminder of how diverse the physical requirements of football are. You have 5'5" Deuce Vaughn trying to hide behind 6'10" Dan Skipper. It’s chaotic, it’s impressive, and it’s why the game works.
If you’re watching a Lions game this Sunday, keep an eye on number 70. He’s the one who looks like he’s playing on a different scale than everyone else. That’s Dan Skipper, and he’s currently the peak of the NFL—literally.
To really appreciate the scale of these athletes, try standing next to a standard doorway. Most are 6'8". Dan Skipper would have to duck just to get into your kitchen. Now imagine that guy sprinting at you with 330 pounds of momentum.
It's probably best to just stay on the couch.
Actionable Insights for Fans:
- Check the Detroit Lions' roster for Dan Skipper to see him in action during goal-line situations; his height is a major factor in "eligible tackle" plays.
- Look for Caleb Jones on the Packers' practice or active roster; at 6'9" and 370 lbs, he is arguably the most physically imposing human in the league today.
- Keep an eye on Calais Campbell's "passes defended" stats; his 6'8" frame allows him to disrupt the passing lane without even reaching the quarterback.