The NFL's Skyscraper: Who Is The Tallest Active Player In The 2024 Season?

Standing head and shoulders above the competition, the title of the tallest active NFL player for the 2024 season belongs to an offensive lineman whose towering presence is essential to his team's success. As of December 13, 2025, the undisputed giant on the field is Dan Skipper, a veteran offensive tackle who uses his massive frame to protect the quarterback and create running lanes for the Detroit Lions. While the NFL features hundreds of players over six-and-a-half feet tall, only a select few truly qualify as the league's skyscrapers, with Skipper leading the charge at a staggering 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters).

The quest to identify the tallest player is often complicated by slight discrepancies in official team and league measurements, which sometimes list Skipper at an even more imposing 6 feet 10 inches. Regardless of the inch, his exceptional height makes him one of the most physically imposing figures in professional football today, utilizing his long reach and immense size to gain a crucial advantage against some of the league's fiercest pass rushers.

Biography of the Tallest Active NFL Player: Dan Skipper

Dan Skipper's journey to becoming the tallest active player in the National Football League is a testament to perseverance, having carved out a successful career primarily as a versatile offensive lineman and special teams contributor.

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• Full Name: Dan Skipper (Daniel Robert Skipper)
• Current Team: Detroit Lions
• Position: Offensive Tackle (T)
• Height: 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m)
• Weight: 334 lbs (151 kg)
• Date of Birth: September 20, 1994
• Hometown: Arvada, Colorado
• College: Arkansas Razorbacks
• NFL Draft: Undrafted (Signed as a free agent in 2017)
• Career Teams: Dallas Cowboys (2017), Detroit Lions (2017-Present), Indianapolis Colts (2018), Houston Texans (2019), New England Patriots (2019)

Skipper's collegiate career at Arkansas was highly decorated, earning him All-SEC honors and recognition as a versatile lineman who could play both tackle and guard. Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017, he has bounced between several teams and practice squads before finding a stable home with the Detroit Lions. His value lies in his ability to provide depth across the offensive line and his massive stature, which acts as a literal wall in pass protection.

The Top 5 Tallest Active NFL Players in 2024

While Dan Skipper holds the top spot, he is not alone in the NFL's exclusive club of towering athletes. The majority of the league’s tallest players occupy the offensive or defensive line positions, where their height and long arms are most advantageous. These giants create a physical mismatch that opposing teams must constantly account for.

Here is a list of the tallest active NFL players heading into the 2024 season, all standing at an imposing 6'8" or taller:

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1. Dan Skipper (6'9" / 2.06 m): Offensive Tackle for the Detroit Lions. Skipper is frequently cited as the tallest active player, sometimes listed at 6'10" by unofficial sources.
2. Caleb Jones (6'9" / 2.06 m): Offensive Tackle for the Green Bay Packers. Jones matches Skipper's height and is one of the heaviest players in the league, often weighing around 370 lbs.
3. Jordan Mailata (6'8" / 2.03 m): Offensive Tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Australian-born Mailata, a former professional rugby league player, is a massive force on the Eagles' offensive line.
4. Orlando Brown Jr. (6'8" / 2.03 m): Offensive Tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Brown Jr. is one of the most accomplished players on this list, known for his elite pass-blocking skills.
5. Calais Campbell (6'8" / 2.03 m): Defensive End/Tackle, currently a free agent but a dominant figure in the league for years. Campbell is one of the few defensive players on this list, using his height to swat down passes at the line of scrimmage.

Other notable players at the 6'8" mark include Offensive Tackle Mike McGlinchey of the Denver Broncos and Defensive End Roy Mbaeteka, an international player who signed with the Cleveland Browns for the 2024 season.

The Undeniable Advantage of Height on the Offensive Line

It is no coincidence that the vast majority of the NFL's tallest athletes are offensive tackles. The position, often called the blind-side protector, demands a unique blend of size, strength, and reach. The height of players like Dan Skipper and Caleb Jones is a massive functional advantage, especially in the passing game.

Arm Length and Reach

The primary benefit of a 6'9" frame is the corresponding arm length. An offensive tackle’s job is to engage and control the defensive end before the rusher can get close to the quarterback. The longer the tackle's arms, the further away they can keep the defender. This extended reach, often referred to as "punch distance," allows the offensive lineman to land the first blow and maintain separation, effectively neutralizing the opponent's pass-rushing moves. This is a critical factor in protecting franchise quarterbacks.

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Pass Protection and Vision

A taller tackle can also establish a wider blocking base, making it more difficult for speed rushers to bend around the edge and get to the quarterback. Furthermore, a tall body allows for better sightlines. While it's a subtle advantage, a taller lineman has a slightly better view over the line of scrimmage, which can aid in reading defensive schemes and making pre-snap adjustments.

The Trade-Off: Leverage

While height is a monumental advantage, it comes with a trade-off: leverage. In the trenches, the player who can get "lower" to the ground often wins the battle of force and power. Defensive linemen often try to use their lower center of gravity to drive the taller offensive linemen upward and backward. However, modern coaching and technique, focusing on knee bend and hand placement, have allowed these skyscraper tackles to mitigate the leverage disadvantage, making their reach a net positive on the field.

The Tallest Player in NFL History

While Dan Skipper is the tallest active player in 2024, he still falls short of the all-time record. That honor belongs to defensive tackle Richard Sligh, who played for the Oakland Raiders in 1967. Sligh stands alone as the only player in NFL history to break the seven-foot barrier.

• Richard Sligh: 7 feet 0 inches (2.13 m)
• Position: Defensive Tackle
• Team: Oakland Raiders (1967)

Sligh's incredible 7'0" height set a record that has stood for over half a century. Following him is Morris Stroud, a tight end who played for the Kansas City Chiefs in the early 1970s, who also stood at 6'10". The fact that only two players in the league's long history have reached or surpassed the 6'10" mark underscores just how rare and physically unique the current active giants like Dan Skipper and Caleb Jones truly are in the modern game.