North Carolina star DJ Barnes Jr. is open to NFL interest, but says basketball is his focus.

Will Barnes, who stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 275 pounds, be able to switch sports and succeed as an offensive tackle at the professional level?

Asked about the topic of potential pass protection on Tuesday, Barnes didn't rule out exploring a career in football, but said it was “the plan” to succeed in the NBA.

If that dream doesn't come true, Burns said on “The Dan Patrick Show” about the possibility of switching to football, “I'll probably explore other options in basketball first before that.” Burns suggested that option could include playing basketball overseas, but he didn't think anything of it. “I’m not a closed-minded person,” he said.

Word of Barnes transitioning from playing in the post to being a pancake-like pass rusher quickly spread the day after North Carolina State's Elite Eight win over Duke. Barnes showed off his smart moves while scoring 29 points, the highest this season.

On Monday, NFL Network reporter Peter Schrager said: Said X said he has spoken and texted “multiple” NFL general managers and scouts over the past 24 hours about Barnes “as an NFL OT candidate.” Schrager noted that the center's footwork was deemed “A+” and said that if Barnes invites teams to watch football-related practices after the Final Four, he expects “a big turnout.” '' will gather, he said.

The post was quickly followed by another from Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, a former NFL scout. I have written He had received emails from several front office figures around the league about impressions Nagy shared on Friday when Barnes helped the Wolfpack beat Marquette.

“The NFL's interest in DJ Barnes is real,'' Nagy said. I have written Monday.

On an episode of Schrager's podcast published Tuesday, he said his interactions with NFL executives suggested that Barnes could make “good money” in the league if things go well. Appearing on the podcast, Nagy said Barnes is a “developing player” who will likely need “a couple of years” to learn the techniques of the offensive line. Additionally, Nagy said one of the unknowns for basketball players looking to make the transition to professional football is “the toughness thing,” or the player's physical strength. adjustment Achieve a higher level of physicality in the NFL field.

Schrager cited George Fant, a former basketball player at Western Kentucky University who switched to football during his fifth and final season at the university, as an example of someone who made the transition. Although Fant played little time, his stocky build and athleticism led him to sign with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2016. Fant has been in the NFL ever since, starting 73 games over seven seasons with three teams.

Like Fant, the NFL-bound Barnes will need to “maintain his quickness and agility while gaining weight,” offensive line analyst Dan Forneck said Tuesday in a statement with The Washington Post. Said in an online exchange. Fornek, who provides analysis for Player Profiler and other sites, said Barnes' apparent lack of football experience since middle school, along with Barnes' apparent lack of football experience since middle school, makes him a “challenging prospect” for the North Carolina State center. He said it would be an element of the portion.

He added that in order to gain speed in the NFL, Barnes will need to develop “spatial awareness” while forming pockets around quarterbacks and play “with a good impact (low stance).” Ta.

On the other hand, Barnes will immediately bring “something you can't teach when it comes to offensive tackles in the NFL,” Fornek said.

“He moves very well for a player of his size, [Burns] The analyst, who played offensive line at Dayton and coached high school football for nine years, does a great job of moving laterally in the paint on defense. Also, he's a little taller (but not ridiculously tall) and very light, so he needs to gain weight. He also seems to have a good wingspan for his height, which is important at left tackle. His foot movement and quickness are very beneficial in his pass protection stance (mirroring defenders in space) and as a run blocker he can move his feet quickly to join the attack and gain movement. Sho. ”

Establish the Run and his trench warfare Substack offensive line analyst Brandon Thorne doesn't seem too optimistic about Barnes' chances in the NFL.

The likelihood of a successful transition to offensive tackle is “very unlikely given his lack of playing experience.” [in college] From what I've seen,” Thorne said in an email Tuesday, “probably the only chance” Barnes has to make an NFL roster is with a team that boasts a particularly talented coaching staff. Told. Thorne said the offensive line coaches who have had “the most success in developing players” include Jeff Stoutland of the Philadelphia Eagles, who helped Jordan Mailata emerge from rugby, and Bill Stoutland of the Tennessee Titans. Mr. Callaghan was mentioned.

As far as current sports are concerned, it's been an uphill climb to get to the NBA for Barnes, who started with a redshirt season at Tennessee, spent three seasons at Winthrop, and is now a graduate-eligible student at North Carolina State in his sixth year of college. There is a possibility that it will become.

Some NBA draft analysts don't have Barnes on their boards at all. As of Tuesday, he is not among the 139 players listed in the NBA Mock Draft Database's aggregate rankings.

Checking in ninth overall at the venue was Duke University's Kyle Filipovski, who had the worst result in Sunday's matchup with Barnes. The Wolfpack's big man's next opponent will be his 7-4 Purdue center Zach Eady, perhaps the highest challenge in college basketball this year.

When asked on “The Dan Patrick Show” how he and North Carolina State will approach this difficult task, Barnes replied with a smile, “We're not going to give it up.”

“Please know,” he added, “we are coming in with a strategy.”