DJ Burns and his college North Carolina State are causing quite a stir at the March Madness tournament in the USA. Now even NFL scouts are reportedly showing interest in the 125-pound talent

Every year, several college youngsters manage to recommend themselves for higher tasks via the March Madness tournament. This usually goes hand in hand with appearing in various NBA mock drafts. However, one talent has also lured NFL scouts in front of their screens.

We’re talking about DJ Burns, who plays forward/center for NC State and impresses with his physicality. The 23-year-old weighs 125 kilos at a height of 2.06m, but impresses with his light-footedness. While other centers of his stature prefer to overpower their opponents and push them away, Burns displays fluid movements under the basket.

He recorded a double-double against Oakland in the last 32 and knocked Duke out of the tournament with 29 points in the quarter-finals. Overall, he is averaging 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 67 percent shooting from the field.

Despite his strong numbers, however, it is far from clear whether he will make it onto a professional roster via the NBA Draft. The Wolfpack starter’s breakthrough may have come too late for that, as not all the question marks surrounding his game have been removed

NFL interest: DJ Burns speaks out on rumors

Instead, the NFL is said to have its eye on Burns. This was reported by Peter Schrager of the NFL Network, among others. Several scouts and general managers are watching Burns as a potential O-line talent.

He has excellent footwork for his build and a pro day appearance after the Final Four of the March Madness tournament could net him a lot of money. According to Schrager, a scout tried to get Burns in for a workout as an offensive lineman before the tournament

Spoke to and texted multiple scouts/GMs about NC State big man DJ Burns as an NFL OT prospect over the last 24 hours.He is listed at 6’9, but probably is 6’7. A+ footwork. Would get big turnout & potentially $ if he participated in a Pro Day/workout the week after the Final 4. pic.twitter.com/zxyufktHeC

– Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 1, 2024

But what does Burns himself say about the rumors of a move to football? The basketball player was asked on the “Dan Patrick Show”. “The plan” is “to play in the NBA one day,” Burns replied. He would first look at a few other basketball-related options before considering such a move.

The speculation surrounding him, he said, stems from the general hype surrounding him and NC State. “They always find a way to talk about us and this is just another topic,” Burns said.

So a career as a football player is out of the question for now. But maybe the door will open again for NFL scouts after the draft.