NFL

A Look at 2021 NFL Kickoff Weekend Rosters

September 16, 2021
smorganroth
CRIMSON TIDE PACES ALL COLLEGES FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT SEASON
TIDE ROLLING INTO NFL: For the fourth consecutive season, Alabama had the most players (54) on active NFL Kickoff Weekend rosters, the league announced today. The Crimson Tide also placed the most active NFL players on season-opening rosters in 2018 (44), 2019 (56) and 2020 (53), and shared the league lead in 2017 (39). Ohio State (50) ranked second in 2021, after previously ranking second with 48 last season.
A total of 244 colleges were represented on Kickoff Weekend active rosters. The colleges with the most NFL players: 

…

COLLEGEPLAYERSCOLLEGEPLAYERSCOLLEGEPLAYERSCOLLEGEPLAYERS
Alabama54Clemson34Miami (Fla.)29Stanford25
Ohio State50Iowa34Oklahoma29Texas A&M24
LSU47Michigan34Texas29Wisconsin24
Georgia36Florida32Washington29South Carolina23
Notre Dame36Penn State31Florida State25UCLA23

A breakdown by position of colleges with the most players in the NFL:

POS.SCHOOLPLAYERSPOS.SCHOOLPLAYERS
CMissouri4DTAlabama9
GMichigan6DEMichigan, Ohio State6
TFlorida, Iowa5LBGeorgia, LSU, Notre Dame8
TEIowa, Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame, Penn State, Stanford4DBAlabama12
QBMissouri, North Dakota State, Oklahoma3PMany tied1
RBAlabama6KFlorida State, Georgia Southern2
WRAlabama, Clemson, LSU8

QB BREAKDOWN: Quarterbacks were in the spotlight once again on Kickoff Weekend and the NFL has now had at least one rookie quarterback start in Week 1 in 14 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in the NFL since at least 1950.

A by-the-numbers look at the 32 starting quarterbacks in Week 1:

7Rookie or second-yearBurrow, CIN; Herbert, LAC; Hurts, PHI; Jones, NE (rookie); Lawrence, JAX (rookie); Tagovailoa, MIA; Wilson, NYJ (rookie)
22First-round draft picksAllen, BUF; Bridgewater, DEN; Burrow, CIN; Darnold, CAR; Goff, DET; Herbert, LAC; Jackson, BAL; D. Jones, NYG; M. Jones, NE; Lawrence, JAX; Mahomes, KC; Mayfield, CLE; Murray, ARI; Rodgers, GB; Roethlisberger, PIT; Ryan, ATL; Stafford, LAR; Tagovailoa, MIA; Tannehill, TEN; Wentz, IND; Wilson, NYJ; Winston, NO
3Sixth-round draft picks or later, or undraftedBrady, TB (sixth round); Fitzpatrick, WAS (seventh round); Taylor, HOU (sixth round)
7No. 1 overall picksBurrow, CIN; Goff, DET; Lawrence, JAX; Mayfield, CLE; Murray, ARI; Stafford, LAR; Winston, NO
6Drafted No. 75 overall or later, or undraftedBrady, TB; Cousins, MIN; Fitzpatrick, WAS; Prescott, DAL; Taylor, HOU; Wilson, SEA
20Younger than 30 years oldAllen, BUF; Bridgewater, DEN; Burrow, CIN; Darnold, CAR; Garoppolo, SF; Goff, DET; Herbert, LAC; Hurts, PHI; Jackson, BAL; D. Jones, NYG; M. Jones, NE; Lawrence, JAX; Mahomes, KC; Mayfield, CLE; Murray, ARI; Prescott, DAL; Tagovailoa, MIA; Wentz, IND; Wilson, NYJ; Winston, NO
7From Texas, most from any stateDalton, CHI; Hurts, PHI; Mahomes, KC; Mayfield, CLE; Murray, ARI; Stafford, LAR; Tannehill, TEN

THE TALL AND SHORT OF IT: On NFL Kickoff rosters, there were 310 players weighing under 200 pounds, 298 players under six-feet tall, and 355 players weighing over 300 pounds.

The Buffalo Bills had 15 players weighing less than 200 pounds, the most in that category. Houston had the most players under six-feet tall with 18, while the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals tied for the most players weighing over 300 pounds with 14.

A team-by-team player dimension breakdown based on 2021 Kickoff rosters:

AFC
TEAMUNDER 200 LBS.UNDER 6-FEETOVER 300 LBS.
Baltimore10813
Buffalo151111
Cincinnati8914
Cleveland131111
Denver11109
Houston101811
Indianapolis7512
Jacksonville11612
Kansas City101113
Las Vegas798
LA Chargers5711
Miami121312
New England8712
NY Jets121213
Pittsburgh1089
Tennessee8108
NFC
TEAMUNDER 200 LBS.UNDER 6-FEETOVER 300 LBS.
Arizona131312
Atlanta1048
Carolina7712
Chicago101214
Dallas948
Detroit7812
Green Bay6912
LA Rams111013
Minnesota989
New Orleans849
NY Giants12912
Philadelphia141111
San Francisco7910
Seattle111511
Tampa Bay81213
Washington11810

HEIGHT, WEIGHT & AGE AVERAGES AMONG WEEK 1 ROSTERS, 2021

AFC
TeamHeightWeightAge (Years)ExperienceRookie & 1st yearPlayers Age 30 & Over
Baltimore6.19249.23*26.494.551013*
Buffalo6.16243.6026.434.605+9
Cincinnati6.18248.8325.683.81115
Cleveland6.16241.8225.293.87137
Denver6.17243.2725.763.69138
Houston6.13+240.73+27.09*5.27*5+10
Indianapolis6.21*247.0925.693.8074
Jacksonville6.21*245.7525.583.8975
Kansas City6.18243.9126.194.1788
Las Vegas6.19246.3526.174.3787
Los Angeles Chargers6.20243.3225.793.79138
Miami6.18242.3825.703.8972+
New England6.17247.5726.935.07711
New York Jets6.15241.1725.13+3.22+14*4
Pittsburgh6.19246.6225.754.09106
Tennessee6.16242.3126.534.53812
AFC average6.18244.6226.014.169.137.44
NFC average6.19244.4926.144.2310.138.81
All NFL average6.18244.5626.084.209.638.13
* AFC high; + AFC low
NFC
TeamHeightWeightAge (Years)ExperienceRookie & 1st yearPlayers Age 30 & Over
Arizona6.16242.19+27.065.47*6+16*
Atlanta6.19242.4725.873.87137
Carolina6.21247.8925.223.31133+
Chicago6.16246.5527.135.316+13
Dallas6.23*243.5525.964.05107
Detroit6.19245.1525.13+3.00+15*4
Green Bay6.21248.57*25.744.00135
Los Angeles Rams6.19242.8925.693.65115
Minnesota6.21242.9126.054.0788
New Orleans6.20243.3626.084.13118
New York Giants6.20242.4425.784.0677
Philadelphia6.16243.6426.044.131210
San Francisco6.17242.8326.814.72913
Seattle6.14+248.2226.264.41711
Tampa Bay6.18246.3327.20*5.361016*
Washington6.19242.8326.194.09118
NFC average6.19244.4926.144.2310.138.81
AFC average6.18244.6226.014.169.137.44
All NFL average6.18244.5626.084.209.638.13
* NFC high; + NFC low
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