The potential NFL drafts go through a week-long showcase and go through physical and mental tests every year. It is called the NFL scouting combine and is performed in front of the NFL coaches, scouts, and general managers.
The vertical jump is one of the tests where the athlete has to jump upwards in the air. The primary motto of this test is to test the athlete’s endurance and strength.
The athlete has to leap as high as they can vertically without running. Then, they have to reach the retractable prongs to mark their leaping ability.
NFL scouts seek athletes with jumping ability from wide receivers, cornerbacks. Thus, this is one of the crucial tests in the NFL scouting test.
Today, we are looking at that record and athletes with the highest NFL vertical jump records. So, let us find out which athletes have managed to make the highest jump record in the NFL.
10 Highest NFL Vertical Jump Records
We have created the list with the help of internet sources like Athlonsports, Sportskeeda, etc.
Let us look at the overall ranks before diving into the details.
| Players Name | Vertical jump record |
| 10. Marcus Williams | 43.5 inches |
| 9. Obi Melifonwu | 44 inches |
| 8. A.J. Jefferson | 44 inches |
| 7. Byron Jones | 44.5 inches |
| 6. Chris Conley | 45 inches |
| 5. Donald Washington | 45 inches |
| 4. Chris McKenzie | 45 inches |
| 3. Chris Chambers | 45 inches |
| 2. Cameron Wake | 45.5 inches |
| 1. Gerald Sensabaugh | 46 inches |
10. Marcus Williams
Marcus Williams is a 27– year-old safety for the Baltimore Ravens. He is on our number 10 with the highest NFL vertical jump record of 43.5 inches.
Williams attended Utah for his college and was part of the football team. Additionally, he received an invitation to the NFL scouting combine. There he completed all the combined drills, including the vertical jump.
After the drill, NFL draft experts and analysts projected William to be selected in the second or third round. Some NFL analysts ranked the fifth-best safety in the draft.
Meanwhile, NFLDraftScout.com ranked him the third-best, and ESPN ranked him the eighth-best safety. In the second round, the New Orleans Saints drafted Williams 42nd overall in the 2017 NFL draft.
He was the sixth safety to be selected during the 2017 draft. He signed a four-year contract worth $6.24 million with the team. In 2022, the Ravens signed Williams on a five-year contract worth $70 million.
9. Obi Melifonwu
With the vertical jump record of 44 inches, Obi Melifonwu is our number 9. 30 year old currently plays as a safety for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League (USFL).
Melifonwu played college football at the University of Connecticut. He was invited to play in the Super Bowl and also attended the NFL scouting combine.
He performed most of the drills except for the three-cone drill and short shuttle. However, Melifonwu made one of the best records for the vertical jump.
Likewise, he also gave an impressive performance in the broad jump and 40-yard dash. He had private workouts and visits with NFL teams after the combine.
The NFL experts and analysts projected Melifonwu to be a second-round pick. However, in the 2017 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders picked him 56th overall in the second round.
After his NFL debut with the Raiders, he played for other NFL franchises like the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles.
In 2021, after being signed by the Eagles, Melifonwu was injured and released in September of the same year. In 2022, the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits signed him.
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8. Anthony Orange
The next footballer is Canadian cornerback and free agent Anthony Orange. Previously, he was known as A.J. Jefferson. 36 year old Orange is tied with Obi Melifonwu with an NFL vertical jump record of 44 inches.
He attended California State University. There, he played for four seasons on the college football team. In 2010, Orange was invited to the 2010 NFL scouting combine.
After the combine, the analyst predicted him as a 4th to 5th round draft pick. However, he was left undrafted. Then the Arizona Cardinals signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2010.
Orange played two seasons with the team before the Cardinals traded him to the Minnesota Vikings. Then, in 2014, the Seattle Seahawks signed him.
He has also played for Canadian Football League (CFL) franchises like the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, Saskatchewan Roughriders, etc.
In 2013, Orange was arrested for felony domestic assault. As a result, his professional career also suffered, and the Vikings released him.
7. Byron Jones
Our number 7 goes to the Miami Dolphin’s cornerback Bryon Jones. His NFL vertical jump is recorded at 44.5 inches. The 31 year old also holds the unofficial world record for the standing long jump at 12 feet 3 inches.
Jones attended UConn and played college football there. And before he received an invitation to the NFL scouting combine, he was already ranked the 25th best cornerback prospect in the draft.
During the combine, Jones set the vertical jump record, but he also set a new world record and a new combine record in the broad jump. He lept 12-feet, 3 inches (3.73m) and bet the old record of Jamie Collins.
Jones’s performance rose his rank in the draft broads, and he became a top defensive back prospect. He completed all his combined drills, and the NFL draft experts projected him to be a first-round pick.
The Dallas Cowboys drafted Jones 27th overall in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played with the Cowboys until the 2019 season before signing with the Miami Dolphins in 2020.
6. Chris Conley
Chris Conley is a 31 year old wide receiver playing for the Houston Texans. He is on our number 6 with the highest NFL vertical jump record of 45. He played college football at Georgia.
Conley attended the NFL scouting combine. He was one of the 47 collegiate wide receivers to attend the combine. After an impressive performance, he was tied for third among the wide receivers in the 40-yard dash.
Conley met with a few NFL teams during the draft process for private workouts and meetings. The NFL draft experts projected him to be a third-round pick.
The NFLDraftSout.com ranked him as the 13th best wide receiver in the draft. Then in the 2015 NFL draft, Kansas City Chief drafted Conley in the third round as 76th overall. He signed a four-year contract worth $3.12 million.
He played for the Chiefs until 2018, and the Jacksonville Jaguars signed him in 2019. The Texans signed Conley in 2021 on a one-year contract and re-signed him again in 2022.
5. Donald Washington
37 year-old Donald Washington has the NFL vertical jump record of 45 inches. He is a former football player who played the position of the defensive back.Washington attended the Ohi State. However, he spent most of the season performing for the scout team. In addition, he performed in all NFL combine drills.
The Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the 4th round of the 2009 NFL draft. The team selected Washington as a second-string strong safety. However, it was cut short.
In 2001, the police pulled over Washington and found him carrying marijuana. The athlete was charged with possession of a controlled substance and convicted of a Felony in the fourth degree.
After the conviction, the CFL franchise Toronto Argonauts signed him in 2014. Later in 2016, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed him for rookie minicamp. After that, however, it wasn’t that long before he was released.
4. Chris McKenzie
On our number 4 is a former Canadian football cornerback Chris McKenzie. The Houston Texans signed the 37 year old in 2005 as an undrafted free agent.
McKenzie played college football at Glendale Community College. In his junior college year, he was considered the 46th best prospect in the country.
During his sophomore year, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) named him the team’s Defensive MVP. In addition, SuperPrep Magazine and JD Gridwire listed McKenzie as one of the top junior college prospects.
He attended Arizona State University after his junior college eligibility. Furthermore, he had established himself as one of the fastest players on the team in both colleges.
McKenzie played only one season with the Texans. After which, he signed with the Indoor Football League (IFL) team, Arizona Rattlers.
He then moved to sign with the CFL team Saskatchewan Roughriders. McKenzie spent most of his career with the team before he retired.
3. Chris Chambers
Another footballer with a vertical jump record of 45 is Chris Chambers. He is a former wide receiver who played a total of ten seasons in the NFL before retiring.
The Miami Dolphins drafted the 45 year old in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. While in high school, Chambers played football, basketball, and track.
During his senior year, he was the state champion in track. However, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later decided to focus on football. He participated in the 2001 NFL scouting combine.
Then after the Dolphins drafted him, Chambers became the most productive rookie wide receiver in the club’s history. He also became the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2001.
In 2007, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers. The Kansas City Chiefs then signed Chambers in 2009. He signed a one-day contract with the Dolphins and then retired.
Currently, Chambers serves as the first-ever University of Fort Lauderdale head football coach.
2. Cameron Wake
Counting at no 2 is the former football defensive end, Cameron Wake. The 42 year old recorded the second-highest NFL vertical jump at 45.5 inches.
The former NFL player attended Penn State University and played college football there. Aside from his NFL scouting combine attendance, Wake also worked out at Penn State’s Pro Day.
In 2005, the New York Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent. However, he was released in April of the same year. After that, the BC Lions of CFL signed him to the club.
In 2009, the Miami Dolphins signed Wake on a four-year contract with the potential of $4.9 million. He was with the Dolphins until 2018, after which Tennessee Titans signed him.
The Titans signed Wake on a three-year contract worth $23 million. However, Wake was let go by the club in 2020.
1. Gerald Sensabaugh
The number 1 place goes to the former football safety, Gerald Sensabaugh. He is the record holder of the NFL’s highest vertical jump at 46 inches. The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted the 40 year old in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL draft.
Sensabaugh attended North Carolina and East Tennessee State University. He played college football and attended the 2005 NFL scouting combine. Then, he recorded the highest NFL vertical jump.
With the Jaguars, Sensabaugh made his NFL debut. He was with the team until his rookie contract expired in 2008.
While playing for the Jaguars, he was arrested three times. This fact, as a result, contributed to him not being re-signed by the franchise.
However, with the recommendation of assistant coach Dave Campo, the Dallas Cowboys signed Sensabaugh on a one-year contract in 2009.
The team released him in 2013 but allowed him to sign a one-year contract to let him retire as a Dallas Cowboy.
Conclusion
With this, we sum up our list of the highest NFL vertical jump records. While most of the players were able to climb rank in their careers, few of them have retired from the sport.
However, their impressive records are still the best in the NFL scouting combine.
