Multiple NFL Insiders Claim Teams Are Interested In NC State Star DJ Burns

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DJ Burns has emerged as one of the biggest stars of the NCAA Tournament, and there are multiple NFL insiders who claim he might be able to pivot to football thanks to the attention he’s received since stepping into the spotlight.

On Sunday, the NC State Wolfpack punched their ticket to the Final Four with a win over Duke on the back of a 29-point performance from DJ Burns, the big man who has played an instrumental role in his team’s Cinderella run.

NC State needed to win the ACC Tournament in order to secure an invite to March Madness in the first place, and there weren’t many people who expected a squad that headed into The Big Dance as an 11-seed to be a national championship contender.

With that said, the Wolfpack are just two wins away from a title thanks in no small part to Burns, the grad student who’s listed at 6’9″ and 275 pounds who will face his biggest challenge yet when he goes toe-to-toe with Zach Edey when NC State and Purdue meet in Arizona on Saturday.

Burns could theoretically be drafted by an NBA team after his college career comes to an end at some point in the next week, and while he’s certainly held his own during the tournament, it’s a bit hard to imagine the skill set that’s made him a standout will translate to success in the world’s premier basketball league.

With that said, multiple NFL insiders say Burns has attracted the interest of teams who think someone who boasts his combination of size and agility has some serious potential to make it as an offensive lineman. That includes Peter Schrager, who asserted he could help his own cause by organizing a workout for scouts when the NCAA Tournament wraps up.

It’s worth noting plenty of people were skeptical of that report when you consider Schrager posted the tweet in question on April Fools’ Day.

Now, I admit there is a chance Jim Nagy also decided to get in on the pranking action, but the former scout echoed a similar sentiment when he said he’s spoken to multiple NFL front-office members who are intrigued by what Burns brings to the table.

Burns wouldn’t be the first person to make the leap from college basketball to the NFL, as he has the chance to follow in the footsteps of notable names including Jimmy Graham, Tony Gonzales, Antonio Gates, and Julius Peppers.