Pro Bowl Projection
Lance Zierlein: Could LeBron James be a Pro Bowler in the NFL?
Lance Zierlein
Mar 7, 2018, 11:29 am
LeBron would certainly have a size advantage in the NFL. NBA.com
I’m easily distracted, and I am easily led off the path of my initial train of thought. Anyone who has ever listened to me on the radio knows this about me. While I was supposed to be finishing my final seven draft profiles before leaving to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, I somehow found myself in an Antonio Gates rabbit hole which included a trip to ProFootballReference.com to check out the level of brilliance in a career that will one day be recognized by the NFL Hall of Fame.
It might surprise you to know that Antonio Gates was originally headed to Michigan State to play football for Nick Saban and basketball for Tom Izzo, but Saban wanted Gates to play football only, so he decided against going to Michigan State. So before we go any further, it is worth noting that Antonio Gates did have a football background before going on to his basketball run in college that took him to a Final Four with Kent State.
Julius Peppers played basketball and football. He’s a future Hall of Famer. Tony Gonzalez played both sports and he is a future Hall of Famer. Jimmy Graham was a basketball player who took graduate classes while playing a single season of college football before coming into the league and becoming a Pro Bowler. There are several former college basketball players who never played college football who are currently playing tight end on NFL rosters.
What about LeBron?
Which brings us to LeBron James. LeBron James will go down in history as not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but possibly the greatest athlete of all time. While he never played college football (or basketball for that matter), he was an All-State wide receiver as a sophomore in high school. In fact, he was being recruited by Notre Dame before it became obvious that football was not going to be in his future.
So I pondered this question. Could LeBron James go to the NFL right now—at age 33—and become a Pro Bowl tight end by his second season in the league? Keep in mind that LeBron would immediately be one of the older tight ends in the league, and last I checked, the NFL is much more physical than high school football. With that said, would LeBron even be in the middle of all that physicality?
Translatable Traits
Any team who LeBron James played for would not require him to play in-line as a blocker. Is he big enough and tough enough to do it? I think so, but that would be irrelevant in this hypothetical. LeBron has leaned down over the last few years but could easily get back to 6’8 / 270 pounds while maintaining his speed and explosiveness out of breaks and as a leaper. Teams desire elite traits and LeBron has elite size, speed and explosiveness.
But LeBron isn’t just a physical freak. LeBron has instincts, vision, body control, balance and great hands. LeBron obviously has tremendous hand-eye coordination but also very strong hands which is important for securing through contact. In space, LeBron would be the ultimate “post up” option underneath. He could put defenders on his hip and they couldn’t get around him. Near the end-zone, he’s the ultimate jump-ball option and would immediately force a hard double team that would open the field for other targets.
From a route running standpoint, LeBron has tremendous agility and fluidity so there wouldn’t be many limitations in becoming effective at it. So LeBron could get open, body guys up and then has the hands to make it happen as a pass catcher. Could he catch through contact? His body type would tell you yes, but you never know until players start having to focus through anticipated contact. My guess is that LeBron’s elite size, athletic talent, play traits, and competitive nature would make him a Pro Bowler very quickly—even if he stepped into the NFL at the age of 33 or 34.
Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros
Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.
Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?
Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.
Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?
It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.
Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?
We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.
Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?
One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.
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