Highest Vertical Jump In NFL Combine History By Year And Position

NFL Combine vertical jump average was the highest for cornerbacks at 37.5 inches in 2023. The wide receiver had 36.5 and the safety had 36 inches.

The average vertical jump for NFL players can vary depending on the position. For the position lineman or linebacker, the average vertical jump is typically lower, ranging from 33.5 to 36.5 inches.

Among the different positions in the NFL, wide receivers and cornerbacks are often known for having some of the highest average vertical jumps with around 36.5 to 37.5 inches.

However, Safeties and running backs are also known for their notable leaping abilities. RB typically displays average vertical jumps in the range of 35 to 40.25 inches and safeties fall under the 35.5 to 38 inches range.

Throughout the history of the NFL Combine, which began in 1982, around 149 out of approximately 12,000 tested athletes have managed to achieve a vertical jump of 40 inches.

NFL combine vertical jump record of 46 inches was achieved by former football safety Gerald Sensabaugh. Jaguars drafted him in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft.

Sensabaugh played four seasons with Jaguars before being signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2009. As a strong safety, he further played four seasons in the NFL before retiring in 2013.

Penn State linebacker Cameron Wake recorded an impressive vertical jump of 45.5 inches, securing the second-highest mark in history. Despite his remarkable performance, he did not get selected in the draft but instead signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2005.

Wake as a defensive end would eventually be signed by the Miami Dolphins in 2009 and remained with the team before the Titans signed him. In his professional career, he was selected to five Pro Bowls.

Former Dolphins WR Chris Chambers recorded a vertical jump of 45 inches at the 2001 NFL Scouting Combine.

Chamber played 10 seasons in the NFL for Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs before exiting the League in 2011 with a total of 7,648 receiving yards.

At number four, Arizona State cornerback Chris McKenzie managed a 45 inches vertical jump in 2005. Although McKenzie joined the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2005, it was in CFL where he gained recognition and a name for himself.

NFL vertical jump record by position Quarterback is 40.5 inches by Anthony Richardson at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

In the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Richardson made history by setting a new record for quarterbacks with an impressive vertical jump of 40.5 inches, surpassing the previous record of 40 inches held by Josh Portis since 2003.

Similarly, at the 1999 NFL Scouting Combine, Morgan State Running Back Jay Hinton recorded 43.5 inches highest by the position.

The Wisconsin Wide Receiver Chris Chambers hit 45 inches on his vertical jump in 2001. Following an impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chambers was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. 

The highest vertical jump by Cornerback Chris McKenzie jumped 45 inches at the 2005 NFL Scouting Combine. After playing college football at Arizona State, McKenzie was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2005.

The six-foot, Georgia Defensive end Nolan Smith leaped 41.50 inches to break the record of 2023 highest jump by DE position.

Moreover, before being selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he played college football at Georgia, where he managed to win two-time CFP nation championships.

The highest 2023 records in each position are as mentioned:

QB: Anthony Richardson – 40.5 inches
RB: Chase Brown – 40 inches
WR: Bryce Ford / Rashee Rice – 41 inches
TE: Zack Kuntz – 40 inches
OL: Blake Freeland – 37 inches
EDGE: Nolan Smith – 41.5 inches
DT: Jalen Redmond – 34.5 inches
LB: Anfernee Orji – 38.5 inches
CB: Deonte Banks – 42 inches
Safety: Jartavius Martin – 44 inches

Highest vertical jump in NFL Combine by year was 44 inches in 2023, 42 inches in 2022, and 44.5 inches in 2020.

However, the all-time highest NFL vertical jump was recorded at the 2005 Scouting Combine by North Carolina Saftey Gerald Sensabaugh at 46 inches and Penn State linebacker Cameron Wake at 45.5 inches.

Juan Thornhill gained recognition during his college career for being one of the most athletically gifted safeties in history. At the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, he showed his exceptional athleticism by recording a vertical jump of 44 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet and 9 inches.

During the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, Donovan Peoples-Jones, a wide receiver from Michigan showcased his incredible athleticism with an unofficial vertical jump of 44.5 inches. This impressive leap ties for the third-highest vertical jump recorded at the Combine since 2006.

Finally, the highest vertical jump recorded at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2018 was by Saftey Terrell Edmunds, who achieved a jump of 41.50 inches. In 2017, Obi Melifonwu, a Saftey set the record for the highest vertical jump with an impressive leap of 44 inches.