The Hardwood Road Not Taken: Top 10 Active NFL Players Who Could Have Made It in the NBA

By: Steve Pugh, Founder, Versus Sports Simulator
May 12, 2026

With the NFL in the middle of its off-season and the NBA Playoffs in full swing, it's the perfect time to ask a question that lives squarely in the realm of "what if." What if some of today's biggest NFL stars had never laced up their cleats? What if they had focused on hardwood instead of the gridiron? As it turns out, a surprising number of active NFL players have serious basketball pedigree — ranging from all-time high school scorers to full-blown, multi-year Division I college basketball contributors. Some of them even had Division I scholarship offers in basketball. One of them never played college football at all.

This list focuses on currently active NFL players (as of the 2025 season) and counts down from #10 to #1 — saving the most compelling "what if" for last. A few names that just missed the cut will also get their well-deserved honorable mentions at the end.

Let the debate tip off.

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#10 — Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

Before Travis Kelce became arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history, he was a three-sport star at Cleveland Heights High School in Ohio, suiting up for football, basketball, and baseball. On the court, the 6'5" Kelce was a legitimate contributor — a physical presence with the athleticism and coordination you'd expect from a future All-Pro. He reportedly averaged around 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game during his senior season.

Was Kelce a future NBA lottery pick? Almost certainly not. But his size, athleticism, hands, and instincts for finding open space? Those translate pretty naturally to the basketball court. In today's stretch-big, positionless NBA, a guy with Kelce's length, court awareness, and motor could have carved out a role as an energy big off the bench. He went on to earn a football scholarship to the University of Cincinnati, and the rest — well, the rest is NFL legend.

Kelce himself has spoken openly about his love for basketball, making him a fun entry point to this list — a guy who clearly had game, even if the hardwood was always his second home.

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#9 — Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

Mark Andrews grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, and attended Desert Mountain High School, where he was a standout multi-sport athlete in both football and basketball. According to published profiles, Andrews earned recognition as one of the better basketball players at Desert Mountain before ultimately focusing on football — a decision that led him to the University of Oklahoma and a first-round NFL Draft selection in 2018.

At 6'5" with elite body control, soft hands, and an uncanny ability to high-point the football in contested situations, Andrews' game is practically written in basketball DNA. His footwork in the red zone — the pivots, the back-shoulders, the jump balls — screams "power forward." In a hypothetical NBA career, one could envision Andrews as a bruising, physical big with a reliable mid-range touch and a tenacity for offensive rebounds. He's the kind of athlete coaches love — and that translates in any sport.

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#8 — DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Tennessee Titans

DeAndre Hopkins has always been regarded as one of the most complete wide receivers in the NFL — a player with impossibly good hands, elite body control, and an instinct for the football that borders on supernatural. It turns out, those skills were being honed long before he ever played college football at Clemson.

At D.W. Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina, Hopkins was a four-year varsity basketball starter. As a senior, he averaged an eye-catching 20.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game — numbers that would make any college basketball coach sit up straight. The production wasn't just there; the versatility was there, too.

Hopkins' combination of size (6'1"), elite athleticism, and defensive instincts (those steals aren't an accident) suggests he could have been a legitimate shooting guard or small forward prospect at the college level. In an NBA landscape that increasingly values wings who can defend multiple positions and make plays off the dribble, Hopkins feels like a natural fit. He may not have become an All-Star, but a player who averaged 20-plus points per game with his build and skill set certainly would have had scouts paying attention.

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#7 — Keon Coleman, WR, Buffalo Bills

Keon Coleman is the only player on this list who didn't just talk about playing college basketball — he actually did it. After arriving at Michigan State University in the fall of 2021, Coleman suited up for the Spartans' basketball team as a freshman. He appeared in six games under head coach Tom Izzo, one of the most respected coaches in college basketball history, per Sporting News.

His statistical line was modest — 5 total points, 1 rebound in 10 minutes of action — but the fact that he was dressed and playing for a Big Ten program speaks to his raw ability. Coleman then made the decision to go all-in on football, transferring to Florida State, earning First-Team All-ACC honors, and being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

At 6'4" and 215 lbs with a reported 38-inch vertical leap, Coleman's physical profile screams NBA wing. The modern NBA is littered with players his size who are asked to space the floor, attack closeouts, and play physical perimeter defense — all things that his athleticism and instincts suggest he could have done with the right basketball development. It's not a stretch (pun intended) to imagine Coleman becoming a second-round pick in an alternate basketball universe.

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#6 — Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow once said he thought he was going to be "a basketball guy" growing up — and looking at the tape, it's hard to argue with him. As reported by The Score, Burrow grew up idolizing the sport and developed into one of the best high school basketball players in Ohio, playing point guard at Athens High School in The Plains, Ohio.

His career stats were remarkable: 1,426 career points — second-most in Athens High School history. He averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game as a senior and was named First-Team All-Ohio (All-State). He also led Athens to three league titles and a sectional championship, and during his final two seasons, the Bulldogs did not lose a single league game.

Burrow's basketball profile is that of a highly skilled, highly intelligent playmaking guard — someone who makes the right read, hits the open man, and doesn't flinch in big moments. Sound familiar? In a hypothetical NBA career, he might have topped out as a heady, pass-first point guard in the mold of a Pat Beverley or Jose Calderon — someone who maximizes his IQ over his athleticism. That's not a superstar, but it's a meaningful NBA player. And given how his football career turned out, you can't help but wonder.

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#5 — Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals

Mike Gesicki's basketball story is the kind that belongs on a prep school trophy case. At Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, New Jersey, Gesicki didn't just play basketball — he owned the program. According to Wikipedia, Gesicki set the school's all-time career scoring record with an astounding 1,866 points — the most in Southern Regional history.

Let that sink in. The all-time leading scorer. At a school. In basketball. The same guy who went on to become a second-round NFL Draft pick and a reliable red-zone threat in the league.

At 6'6" with elite leaping ability, tremendous body control, and the soft hands needed to be an NFL tight end, Gesicki is precisely the kind of athlete who projects well at the power forward spot. His movement patterns — the backpedals, the contested catches, the adjustments in stride — are textbook basketball. Had he committed exclusively to the sport, his frame and scoring instincts could have earned him a Division I scholarship without question. An NBA career would have been a long shot, but not an impossible conversation for a 6'6" shot creator with those kinds of high school numbers.

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#4 — Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Tee Higgins isn't shy about it. When asked whether he could have played in the NBA, he told Pro Football Network: "I feel like I would have had a good chance, you know what I mean? Especially if I would have worked on my skills like I did with football, I feel like I would have."

That's not just talk from a guy who shot around in the driveway. Higgins was genuinely one of the top high school basketball players in Tennessee at Oak Ridge High School, and he reportedly received multiple Division I scholarship offers to play college basketball before choosing to pursue football at Clemson University — where he won a College Football Playoff National Championship. His Wikipedia profile notes his dual-sport credibility, and he's even made Hall of Fame NBA comparisons in interviews.

Look at Higgins on a football field and it's easy to imagine him on a basketball court. He's 6'4" and 219 lbs, with the kind of fluid athleticism, spatial awareness, and above-the-rim play that would look right at home at the small forward position. He wins contested catches the way NBA forwards win contested rebounds — with positioning, timing, and an instinctive understanding of where the ball is going. With actual basketball development behind him, a college career would have been a near certainty. The NBA? That's the fun part of the debate.

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#3 — Caleb Lohner, TE, Denver Broncos

Caleb Lohner's story might be the most unique on this list — because for him, basketball wasn't a "what if." It was his entire career plan, right up until the moment it wasn't.

Lohner played college basketball at BYU, where he was one of just seven freshmen in school history to lead the team in rebounds in a season. He started 44 of 62 games over two years, averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He was coached at BYU by Mark Pope — who now coaches at the University of Kentucky — before transferring to Baylor and then Utah to close out his college basketball career.

Then, in a stunning pivot, Lohner tried football — with essentially zero experience — and played one season as a tight end for Utah in 2024. He caught 4 passes in that single season and turned all four into touchdowns. The Denver Broncos selected him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft — a remarkable achievement for someone who barely played college football.

At 6'7" and 250 lbs, Lohner may be the most physically "NBA-ready" player on this list. His multi-year college basketball career, rim-protecting instincts, and legitimate rebounding ability would have made him an intriguing project for an NBA front office. He ranks at #3 simply because basketball was his actual path — and the NFL found him anyway.

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#2 — Jimmy Graham, TE, Free Agent / Veteran

Jimmy Graham's story is one of the most remarkable athletic crossover tales in modern sports history. Before he became one of the most physically dominant tight ends the NFL has ever seen, Graham spent four full seasons playing basketball at the University of Miami — appearing in 120 games for the Hurricanes from 2005 to 2009. He then played just one year of college football before being drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Graham was a power forward for Miami — 6'7", athletic, physical, and a legitimate shot-blocker. His career averages were modest in terms of scoring (4.0 PPG), but he was a defensive presence and a rebounder who made an impact in 120 games for a program that reached the NCAA Tournament during his time there. He was a basketball player first, through and through.

What makes Graham's case so compelling is what happened next: those basketball instincts made him virtually unguardable in the NFL. His ability to create separation, high-point contested throws, and use his body to box out defenders — all basketball moves — helped him become a five-time Pro Bowl selection and one of the most decorated tight ends in league history. Graham's entire NFL success story is a basketball story. With a full focus on hoops and proper development, a player with his size, athleticism, and 120-game college résumé could absolutely have had a conversation with NBA scouts.

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#1 — Mo Alie-Cox, TE, Indianapolis Colts

No one else on this list comes close to the case of Mo Alie-Cox, and here's why: he never played college football. Not a single game. Not a single snap. He went directly from being a four-year college basketball standout to the NFL — and it worked.

Alie-Cox spent his entire college career as a power forward at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), one of the most respected mid-major basketball programs in the country. His career stats are staggering for a college basketball player: 1,092 career points, 663 rebounds, and 255 blocks — the last of which made him one of the all-time leaders in program history. He started 103 of 142 games. He led VCU to its first-ever Atlantic 10 Conference championship. He was the all-time leader in field goal percentage in the school's history. Fans in Richmond, Virginia would chant "Mo Says No" every time he rejected a shot at the rim.

At 6'5" and 267 lbs, Alie-Cox was an elite college basketball player — not a project, not a fringe contributor, but a four-year starter and cornerstone of a quality program. The Indianapolis Colts signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and despite never playing college football, he has appeared in over 125 NFL games, tallying 16 touchdowns and becoming a respected veteran presence in Indianapolis.

The argument that Alie-Cox could have made the NBA is not hypothetical hand-waving — it is a genuinely serious conversation. A 6'5" center/power forward who blocks shots at an elite rate, rebounds with physicality, and shoots efficiently is exactly the kind of player that gets a look on an NBA Summer League roster. He was productive enough in college basketball to have explored the G League path. His choice to pursue football instead is what makes him not only the top entry on this list but perhaps the most fascinating "what if" in the crossover sports conversation today.

Mo Alie-Cox is the one that got away from basketball — and the NFL's gain is the NBA's loss.

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Honorable Mentions

A few more names deserve recognition before the final buzzer sounds:

• Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers — A standout high school basketball player in Georgia, McConkey's smooth route running and subtle footwork betray a background on the court. He didn't pursue college basketball, but his fluid movement patterns are unmistakably hoops-influenced.
• George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys — A physically gifted receiver at 6'3" who played high school basketball and whose contested-catch ability is straight out of a basketball highlight reel. His one-handed grabs look a lot like an NBA small forward finishing through contact.
• Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons — Pitts is so athletically unique — 6'6", 246 lbs, with the movement patterns of a shooting guard — that NBA comparisons came up throughout his NFL draft buildup. He didn't have the deep basketball résumé of others on this list, but his athletic profile alone earns him an honorable mention.
• Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins — Hill's football path was non-traditional, but his explosiveness, quickness, and body control are the kinds of traits NBA coaches dream about in a perimeter defender or transition scorer. His speed in open space? Steph Curry's fast-break nightmares are made of guys like Tyreek.

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Final Thoughts

The crossover between football and basketball is no accident. Many of the skills that define elite NFL receivers and tight ends — spatial awareness, timing, leaping ability, hand-eye coordination, body control in contested situations — are fundamentally basketball skills. These sports share a common athletic language, and the players on this list are fluent in both.

As the NBA Playoffs reach their crescendo and the NFL gears up for another season, it's worth appreciating that some of the game's best football players chose the gridiron when the hardwood was calling their name. The road not taken, as they say, makes all the difference — and in these cases, it gave football fans something to cheer about.

But somewhere in a parallel universe, Mo Alie-Cox is swatting shots in an NBA arena, Joe Burrow is running a pick-and-roll, and Jimmy Graham is posting up at the elbow. And that universe? It's got game, too.