APRIL 4: It appears Burns will not be open to following up his NCAA Tournament surge with a pivot to the NFL. When asked (via the Associated Press) if he had any interest in a football career following his hoops season, the NC State big replied, “Zero.” Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts said no NFL team has contacted him about Burns.
APRIL 1: D.J. Burns Jr. has become a household name during March Madness, guiding 11-seed NC State to the Final Four. This has led to some speculation about his chances of turning pro…but probably not in the sport you’re thinking (hint, hint: you’re not on HoopsRumors.com).
On Friday night, former NFL scout Jim Nagy noted how the 6-foot-9, 275-pound basketball player has the size, athleticism, and footwork of an NFL offensive lineman. Well, after hearing from an NFL general manager, assistant manager, and college director, Nagy is now saying that league interest in Burns “is real.” FOX Sport’s Peter Schrager is hearing similar things, noting that Burns would get a “big turnout” (and, potentially, money as a UDFA) if he holds a pro day once March Madness has concluded.
Even if Burns’ height is a bit exaggerated (Schrager estimates that the NC State big man is actually 6-foot-7), he would still rank among the tallest players in the NFL. Dan Skipper currently tops the league at 6-foot-9, followed by a handful of players (notably Trent Brown) at 6-foot-8.
There have been a handful of college basketball players who have taken their talents from the court to the gridiron, and football experience hasn’t been considered a prerequisite for these developmental rooks. Generally, the basketball-player-turned-football-player mold has produced tight ends, a group that famously includes Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates, and Jimmy Graham.
The transition to offensive line is especially rare. Wayne Moore had the most success with the switch, but that was more than 50 years ago. Around the same time, former Indiana basketball center Ken Johnson attempted to play offensive line in the NFL before switching to the defensive side of the ball, where he got into 79 games.
Burns hasn’t attracted much NBA hype. If he sticks with basketball, he’d likely have to settle for a G-League gig or overseas job. If he believes his chances of a basketball career are slim, there’s at least a chance he considers a future in football.
It’s an interesting thought, but being too tall seems like the least of his obstacles. Sounds like in an official measurement, he wouldn’t even be as tall as Joe Alt, who will be the top tackle prospect in this draft. Amarius Mims came in at almost 6’8 and should also be a first rounder. More significantly, Burns would need to put on 50 pounds of muscle while switching sports AND learning to play a highly skilled position that’s hard to master. Better athletes who enter college as tight ends or other positions have struggled to learn tackle well enough to make it far. For every Jordan Mailata or Jason Peters, there are a lot of guys who don’t even make it to a practice squad.
Agreed, but we do see teams give a guy a summer shot every couple of years in the hopes of grabbing the next Mailata. They usually bounce around practice squads for two to three years, attempt a brief come back a few summers later, then call it quits.
But there is always the chance that it could work, and the interest translates to a good offseason story or two. You pointed out the valid concern regarding weight-learning to move at that size is an additional concern, let alone learning the football related aspects and (healthily) gaining the weight itself. In some ways, it seems that learning the tight end spot may be more natural than the offensive line movement for basketball players, where the receiving related high pointing of the ball and box out shielding moves can translate to football.
Right. Plus teams will carry backup tight ends with different specific skillsets. A tackle needs to actually be somewhat well rounded in skillset. Also, Mailata came in already huge and from a heavy contact sport.
Agreed.
I would sign him up as a TE and then start teaching basic blocking. I think that makes the transition easier rather than sticking him at tackle right away. and if he flourishes at TE then no harm no foul and everyone benefits
A lot of the basketball to NFL guys play skill positions though.I am not sure a guy wants to convert to lineman after basketball, you will have to get him to drop serious weight to be a TE.
He’s too slow and unathletic for the NFL.
So the exact opposite of what the scouts are saying he would be for an NFL offensive lineman.
Scouts aren’t talking about him.
This post implies differently.
He cannot make it up and down the court without dragging his feet only playing 4-5 game minutes at a time. This is with coaches timeouts and extended TV timeouts during the tournament. He skips out on running down the floor multiple possessions per half.
He is skilled at passing to open teammates and has a smooth left hand for finishing near the basket. Despite NC State’s underdog NCAA tournament run, in no way do these skills translate to being a successful NFL player. Mike Muscala, Alex Len or any other 3rd string center in the NBA with a semi developed body would eat this kid’s lunch.
It’s ok just being good enough to be successful in college basketball with a non athletic makeup. No need exists to try and create fantasy stories about the NFL and NBA.
I’m not arguing that you’re necessarily wrong, all I’m saying is your opinion is the opposite of the one given by a GM, asst GM, and college director; however, if you don’t think an NFL OG would struggle to get up and down a court after 4-5 minutes of basketball, I think you’re vastly overrating their stamina and overall athleticism, also.
Also, his basketball skills and matchup with guys like Muscala is irrelevant to his translation to the NFL.
Burns is a real enjoyable watch. I hope he is successful at the pro level in whatever sport he lands in.
Dan Skipper has reported as an eligible reference in this story.
Didn’t George Fant come from a basketball background?
He’d have to reshape his body to handle the upper-body demands, but his footwork is excellent and he has great vision. It might take a year or two of football conditioning and development, but I could see him as a center or guard.
Nice Wayne Moore reference. Man’s gotta couple of rings.
He’d have to lose the jelly belly baby fat and start building some muscle and strength. They mentioned TEs but the comparison they should have raised would be Joe Reitz who played b-ball at Western Michigan and then played several years in the NFL at OT.
As an old timer who remembers the Detroit Lions QB experiment with George Plimpton in 1963, I like the idea of this guy trying to find a spot in the NFL. The worst that could happen would be he gets a book deal like George did with “Paper Lion”.
George Fant should get a mention
He is not good enough for the NBA and has figured that out to late in life. If he wants to pivot to the NFL it is going to take time and effort. I wish him luck.
Big baby, pushing players around in hoops is far different than blocking 8n the trenches of football.