If Big 12 Basketball Players Were In The 2011 NFL Draft

The 2011 NFL Draft kicks off tonight, so in that spirit I thought it'd be fun to see where Big 12 basketball players would play if they were given an opportunity to get onto the grid iron. I went only so far as to choose an offensive team, but there are a few guys who I think would excel on the other side of the ball as well (uhh, Texas Tech's Mike Singletary as a LB?)

For the purpose of this exercise, I used a traditional I Formation, which gave me a QB, RB, FB, TE, two WRs and five offensive linemen. I easily could have gone with a Single Back or Five-Wide, since so many of the guys would make great wide receivers.

But here's what I came up with.  Descriptions and full explanations are available after The Jump.

Running Back - Jacob Pullen Kansas St. Wildcats
Can't you just see Pullen taking a handoff and just firing through the hole? He might not be the biggest guy on the field, but I can see a little Barry Sanders in him.

Fullback - Ricardo Ratliffe Missouri Tigers
Ratliffe might not be built like a the fire hydrant of a normal fullback, but his frame is designed to give punishing blows and open up gaping holes.

Tight End - Tristan Thompson Texas Longhorns
I went with the freshman here because I can see him either as a blocking or pass catching TE ala Tony Gonzalez or Ricky Dudley.

Wide Receiver - Lance Jeter Nebraska Cornhuskers
Jeter originally signed on to play football as a Cincinnati Bearcat WR, but basketball beckoned and he ended up in Lincoln catching alley-oops after redshirting his lone year in the Queen City.

Wide Receiver - Alec Burks Colorado Buffaloes
Maybe the most athletic guy in the Big 12 last season and at 6'6 195 lbs, Burks has the prototypical WR body. Can't you just see Burks streak the field, hauling in passes?

Left and Right Tackles - Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris Kansas Jayhawks
How great would it be to have athletic twin big men as bookends on the O-line? I mean, seriously? How has this never been done before?

Right Guard - Marshall Moses Oklahoma St. Cowboys
Another big, physical immovable object will open up holes the size of the Oklahoma panhandle.

Left Guard - David Loubeau Texas A&M Aggies
Again, we have a bruising big man who is agile on his feet.

Center - Andre Almeida Nebraska Cornhuskers
I'll let the stats speak for themselves: 6'11 310 lbs

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The first round of the 2011 NFL Draft starts at 8 p.m. (ET) tonight, April 28th and SB Nation has everything you need to prepare for it - NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it all out at SB Nation's NFL Draft Hub and the NFL Draft blog Mocking the Draft.