Everyone who watches the National Football League (NFL) for the first time is taken aback by American Football’s physicality. It quickly becomes apparent why the players don body armor and helmets for protection. Some mountains of men play in the NFL, but they are more than just overly tall and heavy because the game has progressed. These days, NFL players need to be unbelievably strong in addition to being oversized. The following five players are considered among the strongest players in the NFL.

Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is a defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams and is widely considered one of the greatest defensive players of all time. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Donald played high school football for Penn Hills and for Pittsburgh during his college years. Anyone who faced the 6ft 1in 280lb giant of a man agreed they were in awe of his incredible strength.

Donald headed to the 2014 NLF Draft and competed in the combine, a series of tests players undertake to showcase their physicality. Donald managed an impressive 35 reps of the 225lb bench press; only 19 players have ever managed more than 40. The then-St. Louis Rams drafted Donald as the 13th overall pick, and the sportsbooks in California instantly shorted the Rams’ chances of winning the Super Bowl.

Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson is a running back who has enjoyed a career spanning 15 years. Now 37 years old, Peterson is still in incredible shape thanks to a rigorous training routine focusing on core strength. Peterson attended the University of Oklahoma, and his trainer there recalls how Peterson used to hold 80lb dumbells in each hand while making a standing jump onto a 36-inch high wooden box.

Peterson is nearing the end of his career and is currently without a team, but it would not be surprising to see someone take a chance on the uber-fit star before the season is over.

Chris Carson

Chris Carson stands at 5ft 11in tall, tips the scales at 222lbs, and plays as a running back for the Seattle Seahawks. Carson is a fitness enthusiast who frequently shares his brutal workouts on his popular social media channels. Take a look at his Instagram account, and you will see how ripped the 28-year-old is.

In the pre-draft combined, Carson managed 23 bench press reps of 225lbs, sprinted 40-yards in 4.58 seconds, and managed a vertical and broad jump of 37in and 10ft 10in, respectively. Imagine having a man of the size, strength, speed, and agility running at you in a football game!

Danielle Hunter

Danielle Hunter plays for the Minnesota Vikings as an outside linebacker, a highly physical position requiring extreme strength, which Hunter has in abundance. Standing at 6ft 5in tall and weighing 263lbs, Hunter cuts an imposing figure on the field, but his huge muscle mass and all-around athleticism are most impressive.

Hunter is incredibly quick, in addition to being overly strong. He can run 40-yards in under 4.6 seconds yet can benchpress 225lbs at least 25 times! Footage emerged during a Minnesota Vikings’ pre-season training session of Hunter performing bicep curls with 80lb dumbells, doing so with seemingly relative ease!

DK Metcalf

DK Metcalf admits to training with dedicated strength coaches twice a day for months on end as he embarked on a professional football career. However, he also admits that his genetics play a significant role in his supreme strength.

The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver’s father played in the NFL between 2002-2008. Metcalf had trials with the USA Track & Field Golden Games where, if he had been successful, he would have represented the United States at the Olympics. He did not make it to the Olympic team but managed a 100m time of 10.37 seconds!