Finding God In All Things.

The NFL All Bench Press Team And the Draft

I recently at the age of 68 started doing bench press exercises at a mere 50 lbs (hehehe). It makes me appreciate the NFL players that at the combine are competing in reps at 225 lbs. That event has seen a decrease in participation over the last few years. A large reason for that was a scheduling change implemented at the 2022 combine that moved the bench press event to the same day as the on-field drills. Many players felt that could cause them to tighten up and not perform as well. The combine event participation in the bench press has dropped from in the 200s prior to 2022 to less than 100 for the last five years. In fact the numbers from 2022 on are 73, 101, 72, 67 and just 45 in 2026. Many now opt out to maybe perform that at their Pro Days.

I give credit to those players that still participate in the event. The usefulness of the bench press can b e debated. Linemen may have the highest correlation between the press and on-field performance. However it could still be applicable to any players called on to block and also in missed tackles and contested catches. In addition the mental aspects of conditioning and commitment play a part.

All Bench Press Team

I took a look at those players that did participate in the 2026 bench press. But before that it led me first to look at the past year players that excelled in this event and went on to excel in the NFL. So in trhat regard here is a all Bench Press team of active players that did both. It shows their current team, the number of bench press reps they had and their position percentile metric for those reps. That percentile is based on historical data of players at that position going back 15 to 25 years. A 90th-percentile result in the bench press drill means a player is stronger than 90% of the historical edge defenders in their database. Some numbers may be from Pro Day results. The data is available on mockdraftable.com. The only position I had to fudge was the quarterback. Since no active quarterbacks have participated in the bench press I used one that is often regarded as the strongest and used a projection of his reps obtained via internet searches.

The Team’s NFL success

These players have had fascinating success in the NFL. Here is a portfiolio of their accomplishments. Their bench press reps are shown as well as their position percentile.

Offense

Jalen Hurts

QB PHI

  1. Known for his “powerlifter strength,” including squatting over 600 pounds, which allows him to absorb hits and excel on high-stakes, short-yardage “Brotherly Shove” plays.
  2. After being benched in college at Alabama, he did not transfer immediately but worked harder, embodying a “grind” mentality. This continued into the NFL, where he has been described as a “masterclass on resilience” and is known to turn criticism into fuel for improvement.

D.K. Metcalf

WR PIT

27 reps (98%)

  1. Metcalf is one of only two players in NFL history, alongside Hall of Famer Randy Moss, to record at least 50 receptions, 900 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns in each of their first six seasons.
  2. In 2020, he set the Seattle Seahawks single-season record for receiving yards with 1,303 yards, surpassing the long-standing record held by Steve Largent. That record has been passed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2025.
  3. During his 2019 rookie season, Metcalf recorded 160 receiving yards in a Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles, setting the NFL record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in a single playoff game. That record has since been passed by Ladd McConkey and Puka Nacua.
  4. He had held the record for the most receiving yards by any player in their first three seasons as a Seahawk, totaling 3,170 yards. That record has been passed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
  5. Through seven NFL seasons (as of early 2026), Metcalf has amassed 54 total touchdowns and 7,174 receiving yards across 112 games. One of only 23 players all time to do so.
  6. In Week 13 of the 2023 season, Metcalf reached a top speed of 22.23 mph on a 73-yard touchdown catch, which was the fastest speed recorded by any ball carrier in the NFL that year.
  7. In one of the NFL’s most famous “hustle” plays, Metcalf was clocked at 22.64 mph while chasing down Cardinals safety Budda Baker to prevent a pick-six, starting from nearly 11 yards behind. Metcalf was able to bring down Baker at the 8-yard-line, preventing a touchdown. Metcalf covered 108.76 yards to make the tackle. Hitting a top speed of 22.64 mph — the second-fastest in pursuit in the NFL this season, according to NFL NextGenStats.
  8. Beyond the gridiron, Metcalf competed in the 100m at the USA Track and Field Golden Games in 2021, recording an official time of 10.37 seconds—an incredible feat for an athlete weighing over 230 pounds.
  9. At the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, which remains one of the fastest times ever for a player of his size.
  10. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Metcalf led the NFL with 72 contested targets, highlighting his reliance on his massive frame to win jump-ball situations. He ranks 16th in contested catches over that span, with 24 – a 33% contested catch rate.

Michael Wilson

WR ARI

23 reps (96%)

  1. Wilson recorded 1,006 receiving yards in the 2025 regular season, becoming the first Cardinals receiver to hit the 1,000-yard mark since DeAndre Hopkins in 2020.
  2. In 2025, Wilson and tight end Trey McBride both surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, the first time a Cardinals duo achieved this feat in a single season since 2015.
  3. During Week 11 of the 2025 season against the San Francisco 49ers, Wilson recorded a career-high 15 receptions in a single game. Only one other player achieved that in 2025 – Ja’Marr Chase.
  4. In that same Week 11 game, Wilson also set a career-high with 185 receiving yards. It was the second most receiving yards by a player in a game in 2025.
  5. Wilson was only the sixth player in Cardinals history to record 500+ receiving yards and 3+ touchdown catches in each of his first two NFL seasons (2023-2024). Marvin Harrison increased the number to seven
  6. His targets surged from 58 in his rookie year to 126 targets in 2025, ranking him 12th among all NFL wide receivers that season.
  7. His 1,006 yards in 2025 ranked him 18th in the entire NFL for receiving yards that season.
  8. Wilson’s 7 receiving touchdowns in 2025 tied him for 15th most in the league.
  9. During the final five weeks of the 2025 season, Wilson averaged nearly 88 yards per game, including a 142-yard performance in Week 14 and 99 yards in the season finale.

Saquon Barkley

RB PHI

29 reps (97%)

  1. In 2024, Barkley set a single-season record (including playoffs) with 2,504 rushing yards, surpassing Terrell Davis.
  2. He established a new NFL record for total yards from scrimmage (regular/postseason) with 2,857 yards in 2024.
  3. Barkley set an NFL record with seven rushing touchdowns of 60+ yards in the 2024 season.
  4. He became the ninth player in history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a single regular season (2,005 yards in 2024).
  5. On Nov 24, 2024, he set an Eagles record with 255 rushing yards in a single game.
  6. In 2024, Barkley accounted for 34.8% of the Eagles’ total scrimmage yards.
  7. Barkley holds the NFL record for receptions by a running back as a rookie with 91 catches (2018).
  8. He is one of only three rookies ever to reach 2,000+ yards from scrimmage.
  9. He joined Terrell Davis as the only players with 400+ rushing yards and 5+ rushing TDs in a single postseason (499 yards in 2024).

Amon-Ra St. Brown

WR DET

20 reps (88%)

  1. He holds the NFL record for most receptions in a player’s first five seasons (547), surpassing Michael Thomas.
  2. He is the first player in league history to record at least 90 receptions in each of his first five seasons.
  3. He is the only NFL player to achieve at least 115 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns in three consecutive seasons (2023-2025).
  4. At 23 years and 61 days old, he surpassed Calvin Johnson to become the youngest in Lions team history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
  5. Tied for the fourth-longest TD streak in NFL history with a receiving touchdown in eight consecutive games in 2024.
  6. Reached 300 career receptions in just 49 games, the fifth-fastest in NFL history.
  7. Along with Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas, he is one of just three receivers to record 90+ receptions and 900+ yards in each of their first three seasons.
  8. Ranks third in Lions franchise history for 100+ yard receiving games (24), behind only Calvin Johnson and Herman Moore.
  9. Became just the third Lions wide receiver to earn multiple First-Team AP All-Pro selections.
  10. In 2022, he became one of only three wide receivers in NFL history to record a rushing TD, receiving TD, and a two-point conversion in a single game.

Zach Ertz

TE

24 reps (82%)

  1. In 2018, Ertz set the NFL record for the most receptions by a tight end in a single season with 116. This record stood for seven years until it was eclipsed by Trey McBride in 2025.
  2. With 825 career receptions as of late 2025, Ertz ranks 5th in NFL history for tight ends, having surpassed Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe (815) in Week 13 of the 2025 season.
  3. During the first seven years of his career (2013–2019), Ertz recorded 525 catches, the most ever by a tight end in that timeframe, surpassing Jason Witten’s previous mark of 523.
  4. Ertz once held a streak of 144 consecutive regular season games with at least one reception, a run that extended into the 2025 season with the Washington Commanders. It is 19th on the all time streak list.
  5. He is one of only five tight ends in NFL history to record at least six seasons with 70+ receptions. He also achieved five consecutive 70-catch seasons as an Eagle (2015–2019).
  6. As of the 2025 season, Ertz has accumulated 8,592 career receiving yards, ranking him 8th all-time among tight ends.
  7. Ertz has recorded 12 games with at least 10 receptions. Only Tony Gonzalez (15) has had more such games at the tight end position in NFL history.
  8. In Super Bowl LII, Ertz became the only player in NFL history to record a 4th-down catch in the 4th quarter of a Super Bowl win. Later that same drive, he caught the game-winning touchdown pass with just over two minutes remaining.
  9. Ertz left the Philadelphia Eagles as the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions for a tight end (579) and ranks second in total career receptions for the team, trailing only wide receiver Harold Carmichael.

Penei Sewell

RT DET

30 reps (86%)

  1. In Week 3 of the 2025 season against the Baltimore Ravens, Sewell earned a 98.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF), the highest single-game grade for an offensive lineman in the PFF era.
  2. In that same 2025 game, he recorded a 99.3 run-blocking grade, setting the all-time PFF record for any player with 10 or more run-blocking snaps in a single contest.
  3. At just 20 years and 338 days old, Sewell became the youngest player in NFL history to start a game at left tackle when he debuted against the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.
  4. Sewell has earned three consecutive AP First-Team All-Pro selections (2023, 2024, and 2025), joining a rare group of only five tackles in the Super Bowl era to achieve three such honors in their first five seasons.
  5. He has been selected to four straight Pro Bowls (2022–2025), becoming one of only three tackles in Lions franchise history to earn at least three consecutive nods.
  6. Since being drafted 7th overall in 2021, Sewell has started every game he has appeared in through five full seasons.
  7. Sewell led all NFL tackles with a career-high 95.2 overall PFF grade for the 2025 season, the second highest grade at the position in the last decade (tied with Jordan Mailata).
  8. During the 2025 season, he allowed a pressure rate of just 1.1%, the lowest among all 195 qualifying offensive linemen in the league.
  9. In Week 14 of the 2022 season, Sewell famously caught a 9-yard pass for a critical first down late in the fourth quarter against the Vikings.

Samuel Cosmi

OG WAS

36 Reps (97%)

  1. In 2023, his first full season as a starter after moving inside to guard, Cosmi earned an 80.6 PFF overall grade, ranking him 5th among all NFL guards.
  2. During the 2023 season, he was the highest-graded offensive player in the entire NFL from Week 13 onward, posting a near-perfect 92.0 PFF grade while allowing zero sacks and just one pressure.
  3. In 2023, he allowed just one sack across 736 pass-blocking snaps, a pressure rate of only 4.1-4.3%. He allowed 31 pressures but gave up just one sack and four QB hits in 17 starts on 736 pass-blocking snaps, third-most among guards, per PFF.
  4. Despite previous injuries, Cosmi started every single game (17 starts) for the Commanders in both the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons.
  5. Discipline is a hallmark of his game; he was flagged for just one penalty across 545 snaps in 2025 and only three penalties during his breakout 2023 campaign.
  6. Despite starting the 2025 season on the PUP list due to an ACL injury, he returned to allow just 11 pressures—the fewest of any guard with at least 300 pass-blocking reps that year.
  7. He closed the 2025 season with six consecutive games without allowing a single pressure, demonstrating elite recovery and form after a major knee injury.
  8. As of early 2026, Cosmi has appeared in 66 career NFL games, successfully transitioning from right tackle (2021-2022) to a top-tier right guard.
  9. Over the the past three seasons, Cosmi maintained 70.0+ PFF grades in both run blocking and pass protection, a rarity for interior linemen

Creed Humphrey

OC KAN

29 reps (71%)

  1. From 2022 to 2024, Humphrey led all NFL centers in pass block win rate, successfully winning 97.6% of his protection reps.
  2. Over the past four seasons, he has recorded a 2.05 PFF Wins Above Replacement (WAR), the highest figure among all offensive linemen in the NFL.
  3. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) positional rankings, Humphrey was named the No. 1 center in the league for four consecutive seasons (2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025).
  4. Humphrey started every single game to begin his career, a streak of 68 games that only trails Gary Barbaro for the most consecutive starts to begin a career in Chiefs history.
  5. His career PFF grade of 94.9 ranks second among all offensive linemen over that span, trailing only perennial All-Pro Trent Williams.
  6. In the 2025 season, he surrendered only eight total pressures on 742 pass-blocking snaps—a league-best 1.1% pressure rate among centers.
  7. He anchored an offensive line that famously allowed zero sacks during the Chiefs’ 38–35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.
  8. Humphrey has never recorded a PFF overall grade below 82.1 in any of his professional seasons since 2021, showcasing unparalleled year-over-year consistency.
  9. In just five seasons, he has already earned three AP All-Pro honors (First-Team in 2024 and 2025; Second-Team in 2022) and has been selected to four Pro Bowls.

Quenton Nelson

OG IND

35 Reps (94%)

  1. Nelson has been selected to the Pro Bowl in every single season of his eight-year career (2018–2025).
  2. He is only the third offensive lineman in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight seasons.
  3. He is the first player in Indianapolis Colts history to earn Pro Bowl honors in each of his first eight seasons, surpassing legends like Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne in this specific feat.
  4. Nelson has earned six All-Pro selections in eight years, including three First-Team (2018–2020) and three Second-Team honors (2021, 2024, 2025).
  5. In his second professional season in 2019, Nelson played 1,042 snaps without allowing a single sack.
  6. In 2025, he finished ranked 4th among all NFL guards with an overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 84.5 and a run-blocking grade of 84.3.
  7. In October 2018, he became the first guard ever to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month.
  8. Over his first 1,946 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed only three total sacks.

Rashawn Slater

OT LAC

33 reps (91%)

  1. In his most recent healthy season of 2024, Slater earned a career-high 91.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF), ranking 2nd among all NFL tackles.
  2. During the 2024 season, the Chargers relied on Slater to block elite edge rushers individually (without help) 65% of the time, yet he still maintained one of the highest grades in the league.
  3. Across 15 games in 2024, Slater allowed only 22 total pressures on 510 pass-blocking snaps, the lowest mark of any full season in his career.
  4. He ranked 6th among all qualified tackles in pressure rate allowed,7.8% Pressure Rate, during the 2024 season, consistently keeping quarterback Justin Herbert clean.
  5. Slater was the first rookie tackle in 9 seasons to be selected as a Pro Bowl starter, achieving the feat immediately in 2021.
  6. In his elite 2024 campaign, Slater surrendered only 3 sacks in over 900 total snaps, and had only two penalties and seven QB hits.
  7. His pass-protection excellence in 2024 earned him a 90.4 pass-blocking grade, which ranked 3rd among all tackles in the NFL.
  8. He is one of the few modern tackles to earn Second-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie (2021), a testament to his immediate impact on the league.
  9. Slater was a key part of the 2024 offensive line that helped Justin Herbert set the all-time record for most passing yards (21,093) and completions (1,945) through the first five seasons of an NFL career.
Defense

Kwity Paye

DE LVR

36 reps (98%)

  1. Paye has accumulated over 30 sacks in 75 career games (74 starts) through the end of the 2025 season. That is 43rd among the top 200 active sack leaders in calculating sacks per game and year.
  2. His most productive year for sacks came in 2023, when he recorded a career-best 8.5. That was 33rd in the league.
  3. A strong presence against the run, Paye reached over 200 combined tackles during his five-year tenure in Indianapolis. That is 34th among active defensive linemen.
  4. He consistently penetrates the backfield, averaging nearly 10 TFLs per season over his career. That is 26th among active defensive linemen.
  5. Paye has officially registered 50 hits on opposing quarterbacks, reflecting his steady pressure on the pocket. That is 41st among active defensive linemen.
  6. 4.52-Second 40-Yard Dash: At his Michigan Pro Day, the 261-pound Paye clocked an elite speed for his size, which remains one of his most impressive athletic markers.
  7. 36 Bench Press Reps: His raw strength was on full display during pre-draft testing, where he put up 36 reps of 225 pounds.
  8. 9.54 Relative Athletic Score (RAS): Paye’s combine and pro day testing ranked him in the top 5% of all defensive ends tested since 1987.
  9. 3 Consecutive Games with a Sack: In 2021, he became the first Colts rookie to record a sack in three straight games since linebacker Shaquille Leonard in 2018.
  10. Top 12 Run Defense Grade: For two consecutive seasons (2022-2023), PFF ranked Paye among the top 12 defensive ends in the league for run defense, alongside stars like Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa.

Harrison Phillips

NT NYJ

42 reps (97%)

  1. Over his eight-season NFL career (2018–2025) with the Bills, Vikings, and Jets, he has amassed 374 total tackles, including 170 solo stops and 204 assists.
  2. In the 2025 season, Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked him as the 6th-best interior defensive lineman in run defense with a grade of 76.1.
  3. Ironman Consistency: From 2022 through 2025, Phillips started every possible regular-season game, recording a perfect 68 of 68 starts across four consecutive seasons.
  4. While with the Minnesota Vikings, he set a career-high with 92 total tackles and 3.0 sacks in a single season. Phillips and Max Crosby are the only active DT or DL to achieve this.
  5. Between 2022 and 2025, his 267 total tackles were the second-most among all NFL defensive tackles, trailing only Maxx Crosby.
  6. At the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, Phillips led all participants with 42 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press.
  7. Known for using his height (6’3″) to disrupt lanes, he has recorded 12 career pass deflections, including a personal-best 4 deflections in 2024.

Vita Vea

NT TAM

41 reps (97%)

  1. Famously sacked Patrick Mahomes with just one hand while holding off another lineman, showing “immense power”.
  2. At the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, Vea ran a 5.10-second 40-yard dash while weighing 347 pounds. For perspective, every player who ran faster than him at that combine was at least 30 pounds lighter.
  3. He recorded 41 reps on the bench press (225 lbs) during his draft process, which ranked second among all defensive linemen and placed him in the 97th percentile for his position.
  4. In 2024, the Buccaneers’ defense was significantly more stout with him on the field, allowing only 3.7 yards per carry compared to 4.7 yards per carry when he was on the sideline.
  5. Despite being a “nose tackle,” a position usually reserved for run-stuffing, Vea has amassed 35.0 career sacks as of the end of the 2025 season.
  6. In 2025, Vea generated a career-best 51 pressures. He played six games with at least four quarterback pressures, and his 13.6% pass-rush win rate was 10th among defensive tackles.
  7. Vea faced a staggering 69.7% double-team rate in a single game against the 49ers in 2025, the second-highest rate for any player in a game that season. Yet he still generated two pressures and half a sack when doubled.
  8. In the 2024-2025 seasons Vita Vea had the third most quarterback pressures when double teamed.
  9. In 2019, Vea showed off his hands by catching a 1-yard touchdown pass, making him one of only two players in NFL history to record a receiving touchdown at more than 340 lbs.
  10. Since he became a full-time starter in 2019, the Buccaneers’ defense has ranked 1st in the NFL in rush defense (93.8 yards per game) and opponent rush average (4.0).
  11. Between 2021 and 2025, Vea has averaged almost 6 sacks per season, a rare feat for a player of his massive size.
  12. His 35.0 career sacks are the fourth-most by a defensive tackle in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history.
  13. Vea’s full name is Tevita Tuli’aki’ono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau Vea.

Myles Garrett

DE CLE

33 reps (95%)

  1. In Week 18 of the 2025 season, Garrett sacked Joe Burrow to reach 23.0 sacks, surpassing the previous record of 22.5 held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
  2. Garrett became the youngest player in NFL history to reach the 100-career sack milestone, achieving the feat earlier in the 2024 season before his 30th birthday.
  3. He is a two-time winner of the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, taking home the honors for both the 2023 and 2025 seasons.
  4. For his historic 2025 season, Garrett was the unanimous winner of the DPOY award, receiving all 50 first-place votes.
  5. Garrett is the only the second player in NFL history to record at least 14 sacks in five consecutive seasons (2021–2025).
  6. He is one of only seven players in league history (joining legends like Reggie White and Bruce Smith) to record 10 or more sacks in six consecutive seasons.
  7. In 2025, he recorded 33 tackles for loss, the second-highest single-season total in NFL history since the stat became official.
  8. With 125.5 career sacks through the 2025 season, Garrett is the all-time leader in Browns franchise history.
  9. Garrett has earned a 90.0+ Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall grade in five consecutive seasons (2021–2025) and has led all NFL defenders in PFF grade every year since 2022.
  10. In a perfect foreshadowing of his career, Garrett recorded a sack on his very first professional play in 2017 against the New York Jets.

Brandon Graham

OLB PHI

31 reps (96%)

  1. Graham has played 215 regular-season games, the most by any player in the franchise’s history, surpassing legends like Jason Kelce and Chuck Bednarik.
  2. He is the longest-tenured player in franchise history, completing 16 seasons (2010–2025) entirely with the Eagles.
  3. He ranks 3rd in Eagles history with 79.5 career sacks, trailing only Reggie White (124.0) and Trent Cole (85.5).
  4. Graham recorded his first double-digit sack season (11.0 sacks) in 2022 at the age of 34, during his 13th NFL campaign.
  5. He holds the Eagles’ franchise record for career postseason sacks with 5.5.
  6. Over his career, he has forced 23 fumbles and recorded 128 tackles for loss (TFLs), illustrating his consistency as both a pass rusher and run stopper. One of only six active players to achieve both.
  7. His most iconic statistic is the fourth-quarter strip-sack of Tom Brady in Super Bowl LII, which was the Patriots’ only turnover of the game and secured the Eagles’ first-ever Super Bowl title.
  8. He is one of the few players to be a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams (Super Bowl LII and Super Bowl LIX). On of only six defensive ends to accomplish that in the last decade.

Drue Tranquill

LB KAN

31 reps (96%)

  1. In 2022 with the Chargers, he became one of five players all time to record 140+ combined tackles, 90+ solo, 10 Tackles for loss and five sacks in a single season.
  2. In 2021, Tranquill recorded a 75.4 coverage grade, with his 18 stops in coverage ranking among the top 20 off-ball linebackers
  3. He recorded 15 pressures, 5 sacks and three more quarterback hits on just 70 pass-rush snaps during his standout 2022 season, showcasing efficiency in blitzing.
  4. Despite not being a primary starter initially, he recorded 75 tackles in his rookie 2019 season. One of six rookie players since 1987 to record that many with game starts of 3 or less.
  5. Over seven seasons, he maintained a remarkably low 7.1% missed tackle percentage.
  6. According to PFF, he recorded a solid 89.4 run defense grade in the 2025 season ranking sixth among linebackers. He also recorded the lowest missed tackle percentage (3.6%) among linebackers with at least 100 tackle attempts.
  7. In 2023, while with the Chiefs, Pro Football Focus credits him with 35 “stops” on the year and a sparkling 89.3 pass-rush grade that ranked second out of 146 linebackers in the database.
  8. During the Chiefs’ 2024 playoff run, Tranquill led the team in tackles with 25 total stops (12 solo) across three games.
  9. In 2022, Drue Tranquill earned the 7th-best coverage grade among all NFL linebackers with over 900 snaps, a mark that would have led all Chiefs linebackers that year.
  10. Despite starting only three games as a rookie in 2019, he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team specifically for his elite performance on special teams.
  11. Tranquill played a key role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory, and later recorded a game-high 11 tackles and one sack in Super Bowl LIX.

Demario Davis

OLB NYJ

32 reps (97%)

  1. Davis has recorded at least 100 total tackles in nine straight seasons (2017–2025).
  2. Defying typical age-related decline, at 36 Davis set a new career high in total tackles during the 2025 season with 143 stops.
  3. Out of a possible 227 regular-season games through 2025, Davis has appeared in 227 games, missing only two games in his entire 14-year career.
  4. He is one of only a few NFL players to record over 500 tackles and 20+ sacks over a five-year span for five or more consecutive seasons.
  5. Since joining the New Orleans Saints in 2018, he has led the team in tackles for eight consecutive seasons (2018–2025).
  6. In 2022, he was the only linebacker in the NFL to play 100% of his team’s defensive snaps (1,132 total snaps).
  7. Between 2019 and 2023, Davis was named an AP All-Pro (First or Second Team) for five straight years, a feat matched by only one other Saint in franchise history.
  8. He led all NFL inside linebackers in sacks for back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023, recording 6.5 sacks in each campaign.
  9. He is one of only two linebackers in New Orleans Saints history to record at least 105 tackles and 6 sacks in a single season twice

Jaycee Horn

CB, CAR

19 reps (87%)

  1. In his second season (2022), Horn ranked 11th in the NFL by allowing an opponent passer rating of just 62.4 when targeted.
  2. During the 2025 season, Horn tied for the second-most interceptions in the league, recording a career-high 5 picks.
  3. Horn was one of only 16 NFL cornerbacks to allow only a single touchdown during the 2022 season on over fifty targets.
  4. Jaycee Horn allowed just a 50.7% completion percentage when targeted in 2024, 4th-lowest among cornerbacks who faced at least 50 targets.
  5. Through the first five weeks of 2022, His 0.28 yards allowed per coverage snap ranked first among the 102 cornerbacks who have played 50 or more coverage snaps.
  6. Through the first 10 games of 2024, Quarterbacks threw into a “tight window” 29.2% of the time when targeting Horn in 2024, a metric that ranked in the top 10 for the highest percentages in the league.
  7. Through the first 10 games of 2024, When Horn was the nearest defender to the ball, the Panthers’ defense had a success rate of 60.4%, which was in the top 15 for all qualifying corners.
  8. Horn led the Panthers in interceptions in both 2022 (3) and 2025 (5).
  9. Following his first full healthy seasons, Horn earned consecutive Pro Bowl selections in 2024 and 2025.

Patrick Surtain

CB DEN

18 reps (81%)

  1. Surtain was named the 2024 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, becoming only the second defensive back to win the award since 2010 (joining Stephon Gilmore).
  2. During his 2024 DPOY campaign, Surtain faced a target rate of just 10.9%, the lowest among all NFL cornerbacks with at least 300 coverage snaps.
  3. In that same 2024 season, he allowed a league-low 306 total passing yards as the nearest defender across 516 coverage snaps, averaging a remarkable 0.6 yards allowed per coverage snap which was the second-fewest among the same group of cornerbacks.
  4. By the start of the 2025 season, Surtain had recorded eight career games where he did not allow a single reception while playing at least 30 coverage snaps.
  5. Surtain has been selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls (2022–2025), earning the honor in every season of his career except his rookie year.
  6. In a 2024 matchup against the Raiders, Surtain recorded a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. This is the second-longest interception return in Broncos franchise history.
  7. He is the first player in Broncos history to record double-digit passes defensed in each of his first five NFL seasons.
  8. According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain forced a “tight window” on 51.5% of his targets in 2025, the second-highest rate in the league for players with at least 20 targets.
  9. Despite teams rarely throwing his way, he tied his career-high with 4 interceptions in 2024, posting a 7.7% interception rate per target—the second-best mark in the NFL that year

Derwin James

S LAC

21 reps (83%)

  1. James has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times (2018, 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025), including a selection in his most recent 2025 season.
  2. In his 2018 rookie season, he became the first player in NFL history to be named a First-Team All-Pro at safety and a Second-Team All-Pro at defensive back in the same year.
  3. In Week 3 of the 2025 season, he became the only defensive back to record at least 10 solo tackles, a sack, and four tackles for loss in a single game.
  4. Demonstrating his “hybrid monster” role, during the 2024 season he logged significant snaps at five different positions: slot corner (361), box safety (281), deep safety (234), defensive line (97), and outside corner (13).
  5. In 2025, he allowed a career-best 59.6 passer rating when targeted, which was 11th best in the league.
  6. James has recorded over 100 combined tackles in four separate seasons (2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023). That is good for tie for third among active safeties.
  7. For a secondary player, James is an elite blitzer, recording a career-high 5.5 sacks during the 2024 season. The most in the league for a safety that season.
  8. In his first four seasons, James earned an average overall grade of 90.1 from Pro Football Focus (PFF), ranking 5th among all safeties during that span.
  9. As a rookie in 2018, he was 2nd among NFL safeties in total pressures (11) and was one of only two players in the league that year to record 100+ tackles, 3+ interceptions, and 3+ sacks.
  10. After missing the entire 2020 season, he returned in 2021 to become the first defensive back since 2000 to post 100+ tackles immediately following a season-ending injury.

Xavier McKinney

S GNB

19 reps (71%)

  1. In 2024, McKinney became the first player since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to record an interception in each of his first five games with a new team.
  2. His 8 interceptions in the 2024 season were the most by a Packers defender since Hall of Famer Charles Woodson recorded 9 in 2009.
  3. During the 2023 season with the New York Giants, McKinney was one of only two defenders in the entire NFL to play 100% of defensive snaps without missing a single play.
  4. Between 2021 and 2024, McKinney was the only NFL player to register at least 325 tackles, 15 interceptions, and 35 passes defensed.
  5. In 2023, he earned a 91.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF), the highest among all qualifying safeties that year.
  6. After joining Green Bay, he earned First-team AP All-Pro honors in 2024, becoming the first Packers safety to receive that distinction since 2000.
  7. He ranked second in the NFL in 2024 with 128 interception return yards, the highest total for a Packers defender in over a decade.
  8. McKinney was ranked No. 30 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025, a list voted on exclusively by his fellow players.
Where did they go in the draft

Many if not all of these players were considered “dogs” in a good sense pre-draft. In the NFL, calling a player a “dog” (often spelled “dawg”) is a high compliment denoting extreme toughness, relentless competitiveness, and elite intensity. It describes a player who plays with intense aggression, possesses a high work ethic, and consistently punishes opponents. Here is a list of where they were selected in the draft.

Round 1
Saquon Barkley: 1st Round (2nd overall), 2018
Quenton Nelson: 1st Round (6th overall), 2018
Penei Sewell: 1st Round (7th overall), 2021
Jaycee Horn: 1st Round (8th overall), 2021
Patrick Surtain II: 1st Round (9th overall), 2021
Vita Vea: 1st Round (12th overall), 2018
Brandon Graham: 1st Round (13th overall), 2010
Rashawn Slater: 1st Round (13th overall), 2021
Derwin James: 1st Round (17th overall), 2018
Kwity Paye: 1st Round (21st overall), 2021
Myles Garrett: 1st Round (1st overall), 2017

Round 2
Zach Ertz: 2nd Round (35th overall), 2013
Xavier McKinney: 2nd Round (36th overall), 2020
Samuel Cosmi: 2nd Round (51st overall), 2021
Creed Humphrey: 2nd Round (63rd overall), 2021
D.K. Metcalf: 2nd Round (64th overall), 2019

Round 3
Demario Davis: 3rd Round (77th overall), 2012
Michael Wilson: 3rd Round (94th overall), 2023
Harrison Phillips: 3rd Round (96th overall), 2018

Round 4
Amon Ra St. Brown: 4th Round (112th overall), 2021
Drue Tranquill: 4th Round (130th overall), 2019

The 2026 NFL Draft

So who were the combine bench press contestants and which ones are “dawgs’?  Of the 45 participants in the combine bench press the following have been reported to be “dawgs”. Players that go all out and play intensely. The top reported dawgs are bolded. Light green are top tier and dark green are highly productive. Blue was a combine or Senior Bowl standout. A full list of the 45 participants is available for download here bench press participants.

Bench Press Dawgs

Proj Pick Projected Draft Round Player Pos▲ School Ht Wt 40yd Vertical Bench Broad Jump 3Cone Shuttle Bench Press Percentile
15 1 Jermod McCoy CB Tennessee 6-1 188     14       44
19 1 Dillon Thieneman SAF Oregon 6-0 201 4.35 41 18 125     63
44 2 Anthony Hill LB Texas 6-2 238 4.51 37 21 125     44
60 2 Keith Abney II CB Arizona St. 5-10 187     15       55
64 2 Josiah Trotter LB Missouri 6-2 237     27       87
96 3 Jonah Coleman RB Washington 5-8 220     22       72
107 4 Jalon Kilgore SAF South Carolina 6-1 210 4.4 37 16 130   4.32 43
121 4 Tim Keenan III DT Alabama 6-1 327 5.31 30 21 100     11
136 4 Taurean York LB Texas A&M 5-11 226     25   7.32 4.48 75
180 5 Kendrick Law WR Kentucky 5-11 203 4.45 42 21 128     92
189 6 Tyreak Sapp EDGE Florida 6-2 273     28       57
7 Noah Whittington RB Oregon 5-8 205     24       84
361 UDFA Toriano Pride CB Missouri 5-10 185 4.32 37.5 13 128 7.2   34
376 UDFA Ahmari Harvey CB Georgia Tech 5-11 185     15       55
505 UDFA Damonic Williams DT Oklahoma 6-2 305     30       71

 

Featured Image: Harrison Phillips, Since 1994, one of only 20 players at the combine have managed to achieve more than 40 repetitions.

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