Football players have always wanted to prove they can show out on the hardwood, and Justin Jefferson is just the latest. But many others have failed miserably.
However, there have been a couple of NFL players who have proven they can hold their own. Obviously, guys like Terrell Owens, Antonio Gates, and Julius Peppers used to hoop for real, but all those guys’ pro days are over now.
So who in the league today could actually hold their own in a pickup game?
2 / 8
The obvious place to start. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was getting some buckets the other day on a few of his buddies and the video landed on Twitter. He has a smooth jump shot and could get to the rim at times. I wouldn’t be mad picking him up and placing him in a corner for spacing purposes.
3 / 8
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was getting buckets in his last viral video on the court. He was giving you an in-and-out, crossovers, and a spin move through the lane that’s more than I’ve seen from a lot of football players. It’s too bad the Chiefs banned him from hooping.
4 / 8
DeAndre Hopkins used to play ball at Clemson when he was attending school there. We don’t have much video on Hopkins at Clemson and the ones that we could find aren’t the most favorable. But I’m not going to lie, anyone that can get a jersey and be on a team in the ACC deserves to get put into this category.
5 / 8
Tyreek Hill is an athletic marvel, and these dunk videos prove that. I wasn’t surprised that Hill could do these athletic feats, but I was surprised at the hint of basketball skills Hill showed in the other video. The Chiefs wideout has a respectable handle a nice three-point shot.
6 / 8
First of all, Myles Garrett would be a great pickup because he could get easy baskets from no one wanting to stand in his way. Who in their right mind is gonna step in front of this huge man and stop him from getting wherever he wants to on the court? Now, from a basketball perspective, Garrett is athletic and has shown he has a little touch and can finish around the rim.
7 / 8
Odell Beckham Jr. is one of those rare people who make it seem like they are good at everything. So it’s no surprise to see him flying through the air and dunking the basketball like this. If it were up to me, I would definitely pick up OBJ for nothing else but defense and athleticism.
