Picturing the Detroit Pistons on the gridiron

With the NFL Draft concluding recently, what if we imagined the Detroit Pistons roster on the football field?

With the current NBA season floating in suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, teams are eager to step back on the hardwood. The NBA is flirting with the allowance of teams to reopen their facilities as early as May 8. The Detroit Pistons could follow suit.

However, according to current NBPA President Chris Paul, players would require “at least three to four weeks” of preperation to jolt back to game speed. Therefore, the NBA’s outlook towards a resume in games would be extended at least another additional month.

As the NFL’s rookies nestle in to their respected new teams after this year’s 2020 draft, it begs the question. What would the current Pistons roster showcase on the gridiron?

The Detroit Lions were gifted the third overall draft pick and selected the best cornerback, Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah.

Although current Piston players wouldn’t necessarily be plucked in the first round, the roster surprisingly has proven athletic capability to display more than just hardwood talent.

The intriguing part about the Pistons is the given amount of experience the team has with a football background. Four of the 17 players have some known previous football history including Bruce Brown, Langston Galloway, Blake Griffin and Luke Kennard.

Astonishingly, Kennard, a former standout quarterback at Franklin High School in Ohio, threw for over 2,300 yards and 26 touchdowns as a Sophomore and was named Ohio’s Division II offensive player of the year.

After that season, Kennard had a real chance of signing a football scholarship with the Michigan Wolverines. Former head coach Brady Hoke heavily recruited Kennard and took a trip up to Ann Arbor for a visit after his sophomore season.

A two-time Mr. Basketball for the state of Ohio, Kennard decided to solely focus on basketball after his junior season. His football background IQ and leadership skills are attributes that the Pistons took note of when he was drafted in 2017.

Given Kennard’s left handed, he’d be most comparable to Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and three time Super Bowl champion Steve Young. His ability to scramble outside the pocket and extend plays are very similar to the two time MVP.

Given his prestigious track record as an all-state quarterback in football-rich Ohio, Kennard would be the highest selected if he were to enter the NFL draft out of all Pistons players.

He’d have a real legitimate shot at becoming a franchise quarterback. If the team were to put on helmets and shoulder pads, they’d be extremely fortunate to have Kennard as their signal caller.

Another former football star is the up and coming Bruce Brown. The 6’4 Brown was a star wide receiver and also started at quarterback at Wakefield High in Massachusets as a sophomore.

In his second NBA season, Brown has solidified himself as the best defender on the Pistons roster. Knowing his former ability on the football field, it correlates seamlessly to the court.

Brandon Marshall is arguably one of the more physically dominant wide receivers to every play in the NFL and Brown brings that same commitment in his style of play. If there were any comparisons to wide receivers, Marshall is the closest in both physicality and elite vision.

Brown’s tenacity and toughness would make him an excellent starting wide receiver. I could see Brown being selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft.

He’d be raw, but extremely physical and proven enough to earn a roster spot. At 6’4, 202 pounds, he’s big and has solid acceleration, giving Kennard a legit threat on the outside to throw to.

Already two established weapons on offense, power forward Blake Griffin forms a trio. Griffin, a former baseball and football player, has experience at wide receiver, tight end and safety. At 6’9, 250 pounds, he’s the heaviest player on the team.

With the knowledge of his experience catching the ball, Griffin would make an exceptional tight end. He’d spread the field vertically, and have the physical skills to run and pass block.

Griffin is a brute force, so him bestowing the tight end spot would create nightmare matchups with linebackers and safeties. Kennard would love a go to pass catcher and Griffin maximizes the pass game.

Five time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham is stunningly similar in size to Griffin, and molds effortlessly into the pure strength and vertical that he possess. Graham, more known for his pure pass catching ability, only played one year of college football after playing four years of basketball.

With basketball driven in to their style of play, they truly are the prototypical basketball to tight end prodigies that the NFL drools over.

The last player on the Pistons who has known football experience is sharpshooting Langston Galloway. Although it is unknown the specifics as to what Galloway has played as far as a position, he looks as if he could match up on the defensive side of the ball. With his size (6’1, 200 pounds), he’s the prototypical cornerback.

Galloway might not make the NFL, but he’d lockdown the starting cornerback position for the Pistons football team.

As for the rest of the squad, I’ll be using my best judgement as to what position suits the remaining players well.

Derrick Rose just looks like a feature running back. He’s got the bounce, quickness and agility to break through to the second level of the defense, and still has the speed to blow by defenders on the edge.

Rose doesn’t have any known football experience, but his athleticism on the court would flow easily onto turf. Imagining him jump cut and spin off of wimpy tacklers would be an enticing feature to an already amped up offense.

This might be a bit of a stretch but Rose reminds me of a Reggie Bush kind of back. Bush had elite agility and lateral sharpness, with an absolute burst of speed in the open field. He was always a serious threat to take it the distance whenever the ball was in his possession.

Rose has that same kind of athletic ability and quickness. Not to mention, their names together fit like none other.

Jordan Bone is a player that would excel on special teams. The envision is more towards a punt/kick return specialist, but Bone is scrappy enough to play defensive back or safety as well.

In last years draft combine, Bone displayed his pure athleticism in multiple areas. He finished first in lane agility, shuttle run and standing vertical jump. Given his proven athletic prowess, he’d be a fantastic return man.

Comparatively, Bone’s ability is closely tied with Jamal Agnew of the Detroit Lions. Agnew, a breakout rookie in 2017 and return specialist, also plays cornerback. His size (5’10, 185 pounds) matches that of Bone’s (6’3, 180 pounds) and their ability to be freakishly agile are also similar.

Former Lions and current Seattle Seahawks defensive end Ezekiel Ansah is a long, lanky player that excels on the outside. Rookie Sekou Doumbouya matches that style of an edge rusher, although he is a bit taller than Ansah.

Both athletically raw, Ansah was a true work in progress when he arrived to Detroit. Similarly, Doumbouya is only 19 years old and has enormous up side with still his entire career ahead of him.

If Sekou were to get into football shape and gain football muscle, he’d be in right in the same category as Ansah. Both crazy athletic, long and extremely difficult to stay in front of. He might not be an immediate impact, but Sekou truly could be an elite pass rusher in due time.

On the other side of the defensive line, Donta Hall would gel as well. At 6’9, 229 pounds, Hall is complementary to Ansah and Sekou with his length. Although Hall possess a different style of play, he’d be almost identical to nine-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers.

Offensive line is a brutal, tenacious position in the NFL. Power forward John Henson resembles the kind of left tackle you’d entrust to protect Kennard’s blind side.

A defensive specialist, Henson would allow Kennard to by time in the pocket with his skills rebounding and blocking shots. His strong hands would make up for his lack of typical weight that NFL offensive lineman possess. It’d be a stretch, but Henson could be related to all-pro left tackle Jason Peters.

Louis King is a long, willowy player with a wingspan of over seven feet. He isn’t the strongest, but his ability to go up for jump balls could compare him to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green.

It’d be a stretch, but Louis King would be a great complement to opposite side of Brown on the outside. King could stretch the field and give more open opportunities to Griffin, Brown and Rose in space.

Slot receiver is an extremely demanding position in the NFL. Slot receivers are expendable, but very valuable and tend to bounce around the league. Exactly like Brandon Knight, who has worn five different jerseys in his nine year career.

Knight, who started his career with the Pistons, is big enough to body linebackers and safeties. He’d be able to get open in the middle and create separation, just like Anquan Bolden.

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Thon Maker is just absolute, no doubt all length. He’d go alongside John Henson on the offensive line to help protect Kennard. Without the solidified weight, he’d have to rely more on his wingspan to create separation on the line.

Jordan McRae would fill out the back half of the secondary, playing either free or strong safety. He’d be one of the tallest safeties in the league, but instinctually sound like Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

With family ties to soccer, Svi Mykhailiuk could solidify the kickoff and punting duties on special teams. Although other players have proven experience in soccer, Svi just suggests to the eye that he could develop into a punter.

Three and defensive specialist Tony Snell would solidify the linebacker position. Known for his defense, Snell would be able to provide a calm demeanor and fierce determination in the middle of the field.

Khyri Thomas should be able to help out in the secondary, either at cornerback or safety. He’d administer depth and stamina to a secondary that already includes Galloway and Bone.

Finally, Christian Wood would play either side of the ball. He’d be an excellent secondary tight end, especially in red zone situations. Defensively, he’d be a stellar edge rusher to go along with Sekou and Hall. Wood has tremendous value with above par length and athleticism.

The Pistons’ season might be in standstill, but imagining the team battling against some of the best in the NFL is an intriguing thought. With Kennard calling plays, Rose knifing through tacklers and Brown flying high on the outside, the Pistons could very well be savvy competition to the hometown Lions.

With that being said, here’s a blueprint of what the Pistons would look like on the Gridiron:

Offense

Quarterback – Luke Kennard

Running Back – Derrick Rose

Tight End – Blake Griffin, Christian Wood

Wide Receiver – Bruce Brown, Louis King, Brandon Knight

Offensive Line – Thon Maker, John Henson

Defense

Defensive End -Sekou Doumbouya, Donta Hall, Christian Wood

Linebacker – Tony Snell

Cornerback – Langston Galloway, Jordan Bone

Safety – Jordan McRae, Khyri Thomas

Special Teams

Kick/Punt Return – Jordan Bone

Punter/Kicker – Svi Mykhailiuk

With at least another month before a return to live basketball action, the idea of the Pistons scoring sevens instead of threes is an entertaining interpretation.

With four of their 17 players having legitimate football experience, they’d be able to certainly make plays on the field. Detroit sports might be on hold, but the Pistons demonstrate established athletic ability to do more than just basketball.