Could NFL players play in the NBA? From C.J. Stroud to Christian McCaffrey, here's 30 we'd like to see try

Bill Bender

Could NFL players play in the NBA? From C.J. Stroud to Christian McCaffrey, here's 30 we'd like to see try image

Austin Rivers stirred a debate this week on "The Pat McAfee Show." 

Could NFL players play in the NBA? Could NBA players play in the NFL? Rivers put his name on it with numbers. 

"I can take 30 players right now from the NBA and throw them in the NFL," Rivers said. "You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the NBA." 

Retired NFL legend J.J. Watt – who starred in football and basketball at Pewaukee (Wisc.) High School – was among the NFL stars who pushed back on Rivers' claim. Watt did offer a confession for his chances in the NBA. 

There have been college basketball players who emerged as NFL stars – a list that includes Antonio Gates, Donovan McNabb, Jimmy Graham, Julius Peppers, Tony Gonzalez and Terrell Owens. Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward played for the New York Knicks in the NBA – so this argument isn't exactly new. 

But 30 names is a lot. Does the current NFL have 30 players who would at least take their shot at the NBA? Here is a list of candidates – which includes several former basketball stars – and a few players we'd just like to see on the court for a few minutes.

MORE: 30 NBA players we'd like to see play in the NFL

NFL players who played college basketball

Three current NFL players played college basketball. Those players would be at the top of our list. 

Mo Allie-Cox
(Getty Images)

Mo Alie-Cox, TE, Colts 

The 6-foot-5, 276-pound tight end averaged 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds as a forward at VCU from 2013-17.  

Keon Coleman, WR, Bills

The 6-foot-4 big-play receiver played sparingly as a forward at Michigan State before focusing on football full time in college with the Spartans and at Florida State. 

Mason Pline, TE, 49ers 

The 49ers signed the undrafted 6-foot-7 tight end from Furman. He played three seasons of basketball at Ferris State before transferring to Furman, where he had 32 catches for 287 yards and four TDs last season. 

NFL players we'd like to see play basketball 

That leaves 27 other players to make our 30. A look at the rest of that roster. 

Bobby Wagner, LB, Seahawks 

Wagner led the NFL in tackles last season. He gave up high school basketball to pursue a college football career. If this team needs a hard foul, then this is the guy.

Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers

McCaffrey is arguably the best all-around athlete in the NFL. He had an offer to play football and basketball at Northern Colorado after a three-sport career at Valor Christian (Highland Ranch, Colo.). 

C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans

The 6-3 quarterback was a two-sport star at Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) High School and scored 31 points in this year's Celebrity All-Star Game in Indianapolis. 

Cooper DeJean, CB, Eagles

The Eagles' first-round cornerback has an impressive highlight tape from OA-BCIG High School in Ida Grove, Iowa, where he scored 1,832 points. 

Dan Skipper, T, Lions

The 6-foot-10, 330-pounder is the tallest player in the NFL. He was a three-sport star at Ralston Valley (Arvada, Colo.) High School. Basketball coaches always say, "You can't teach height." 

Davante Adams, WR, Raiders 

Adams was a 6-1, 215-pound two-sport star at Palo Alto (Calif.) High School and a two-sport star that could have played college basketball. 

Dawand Jones, T, Browns 

The 6-8, 375-pound two-sport star at Ben Davis (Indianapolis High School) had Division I basketball offers – and he still had NBA dreams leading up to his NFL Combine interviews. 

DeForrest Buckner, DT, Colts 

Buckner was the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year in Hawaii after he averaged 12.8 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior at Punahou (Honolulu) High School. 

Drake Maye, QB, Patriots 

Maye's brothers Luke and Beau played at North Carolina. Drake averaged a double-double at Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.) as a junior. 

Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets 

The high-flying Jets receiver has some impressive basketball highlights from his time as a point guard at Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) High School. 

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Panthers 

Clowney's high-school football highlight reel remains impressive, and he was a power forward on the basketball team at South Pointe (Rock Hill, S.C.) High School. 

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals 

Chase – at 6-foot – originally went to Archbishop Rummel (Metairie, La.) High School to play basketball before developing into one of the best high-school receivers in the country. 

Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals 

Need a shooter? Burrow averaged 20 points as a senior and was a first-team All-State basketball player at Athens (Ohio) High School. 

Keenan Allen, WR, Bears 

Allen was a three-sports star at Northern Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.) High School, where he played football, basketball and track. 

Maxx Crosby, DE, Raiders

Crosby was a 6-5, 255-pound forward at Colleyville (Texas) Heritage High School and would bring intensity to the floor.  

Micah Parsons, LB, Cowboys

Parsons was a 6-3, 245-pound center at Harrisonburg (Pa.) High School and was a physical presence under the basket. 

Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers

The 6-5, 231-pound receiver averaged 18.3 points and 5.2 assists as a senior at Ball (Galveston, Texas) High School. 

Myles Garrett, DE, Browns 

The 6-4, 272-pound edge rusher and reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year is a huge basketball fan who was a standout at Martin (Arlington, Texas) High School. 

Nick Foles, QB, Free agent 

We're signing Foles to this team. He was a star basketball player at Westlake (Austin, Texas) High School and drew several Division I offers.

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs 

Mahomes averaged 19.9 points per game as a junior at Whitehouse (Texas) High School, where he was a three-sport star before becoming a three-time Super Bowl champion. 

Puka Nacua
(Getty Images)

Puka Nacua, WR, Rams 

Nacua was another standout in this year's NBA Celebrity All-Star Game and was a standout at Orem (Utah) High School. 

Sauce Gardner, CB, Jets 

Gardner is the best cover cornerback in the NFL. Could he be converted into a lock-down defender on the perimeter in the NBA? 

Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants

According to Cleveland.com, Barkley was a forward who specialized on roaming the baseline as a defender for Whitehall (Pa.) High School. 

Tee Higgins, WR, Bengals

Higgins was a star shooting guard at Oak Ridge (Tenn.) High School and had offers from Louisville, Tennessee and Auburn. 

T.J. Hockenson, TE, Vikings  

Hockenson – a 6-5, 248-pounder, scored 1,890 points at Chariton (Iowa) High School with a game that would have translated to the college level. 

Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs 

The 6-5, 250-pounder played basketball at Cleveland Heights High School and had dreams of playing in both the NFL and NBA. Would he be the best trash talker on the floor? 

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars

Remember when Lawrence pushed that guy in an intramural basketball game? Is that enough to make this team?

Bill Bender

Bill Bender Photo

Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.