NC State senior forward DJ Burns has set the college basketball world on fire as of late thanks to his impressive performance in his team’s Final Four run in the NCAA Tournament. And now, he has an intriguing possibility on the table to potentially parlay all of his success into a career in another sport.
According to NFL Network’s Peter Schrager, several NFL general managers and scouts have expressed interest in Burns as a potential developmental offensive lineman at the NFL level.
Spoke to and texted multiple scouts/GMs about NC State big man DJ Burns as an NFL OT prospect over the last 24 hours.He is listed at 6’9, but probably is 6’7. A+ footwork. Would get big turnout & potentially $ if he participated in a Pro Day/workout the week after the Final 4. pic.twitter.com/zxyufktHeC
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 1, 2024
Burns is listed at 6’9”, but as Schrager said, may actually be closer to 6’7” in height. That height obviously doesn’t exactly scream star big man at the NBA level.
However, this height pretty clearly does translate to being an offensive lineman in the NFL, particularly as an offensive tackle.
On the basketball court, Burns shows off some pretty impressive footwork for a man of his size, which is around 275 pounds. That same footwork could translate perfectly under the right tutelage at the NFL level.
The 2024 NFL Draft is of course just a few weeks away, so Burns would seemingly have a chance to show off his talents as an offensive tackle prospect at workouts before the draft should he want to pursue this opportunity.
Regardless, it is a pretty fascinating possibility. And fans certainly believe his skillset could translate to the NFL level if given the chance as a late-round flier in the NFL Draft.
Dude will make way more as an elite tackle than he will bouncing around the G-League for 5 years https://t.co/BbTZy9XCIJ
— Casey Rosellini (@TexasQBLab) April 1, 2024
Telling ya! Tackle or DL.
Size + Rebound ability will limit his basketball ceiling.
Can make some big bucks in NFL if he dedicates himself. https://t.co/Qzx8xFcEKQ
— KRW (@KalenRasheed) April 1, 2024
The traits most looked for in NFL OL are good footwork ✅, Size ✅, and long arms ✅. Seems like a perfect fit assuming he chooses not to pursue professional Basketball. https://t.co/kmSBKHR5iM
— Brandon Bojarsky (@BrandonBojarsk1) April 1, 2024
Was thinking that NFL should be hitting his line. That size and speed no joke. https://t.co/e6HW6TrAa8
— Jeffrey Bissoy 🇨🇲 (@TheJeffBissoy) April 1, 2024
Well duh. He looks like a football player. I'm sure he could be a stud in either sport https://t.co/PZIZuNo8WV
— Elijah Taylor (@ElijahRTaylor) April 1, 2024
It’s obviously no guarantee that Burns is even interested in playing football. He could very well make his way onto an NBA roster this coming summer, especially since he has impressed in a big way in the NCAA Tournament thus far.
But this opportunity has led to success for a number of other undersized basketball players in the past. The likes of Antonio Gates, Mo Alie-Cox, and many more have gone on to very successful NFL careers after playing only collegiate basketball.
