Top 5: Athletes Who Could Play In The NFL
By J.R.
2. Russell Westbrook
Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Current Sport/Team: Basketball, OKC Thunder
Height/Weight: 6’3″ 205 lbs
Position in Football: SS/Nickel CB
The OKC point guard is number 2 on the list because of his elite athleticism and instincts he shows off on the basketball court. I would slide Westbrook into the Nickel CB/SS spot the same way the Seahawks use Kam Chancellor and let him use his instincts to disrupt the passing game. Russell is one of the most elite pgs in the NBA and constantly uses his superior size and strength to bully other point guards in the lane. That same attribute would help Westbrook bully receivers over the middle of the field. The only knock on Westbrook is he is oft injured and unable to play, but I think playing on grass and being in a NFL training program would help his body become less injury prone. If Westbrook were to play in the NFL you would know he has good hands and can run with anybody in the open field, two attributes GMs love out of members in their secondary. Oakland needs to upgrade its secondary this offseason and by putting a physical athletic NBA point guard in the secondary is one way to help things, that is if he could learn the basics of playing CB in the NFL.