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DJ Burns NFL draft prospect: NC State star says he'll explore options in basketball first

NC State basketball forward D.J. Burns has been the surprise star of March Madness, with fans and pundits alike already looking forward to his next move.

Burns, who's set to play in the Final Four as one of the most important pieces for the Wolfpack, has been rumored to be of interest to potential NFL teams as an offensive lineman should his basketball career not work out, according to NFL Network's Peter Schrager and Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Reese's Senior Bowl.

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Schrager posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Burns would "get big turnout (and) potentially (money) if he participated in a Pro Day/workout the week after the Final Four," according to scouts and general managers he messaged with.

Nagy also said he received messages from a GM, assistant GM and college director that there's real interest in Burns as an NFL prospect.

Burns, who's listed at 6-foot-9, 275 pounds, is averaging 13 points with 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season. However, he has kicked it up a notch in the NCAA Tournament, most recently scoring 29 points in NC State's upset win over Duke in the Elite Eight.

Where did the NFL rumors come from?

"I think that just comes along with our team being trending right now," Burns said Tuesday on the Dan Patrick Show. "They always find something to talk about and that's one of the topics."

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DJ Burns NFL draft prospect

NC State forward D.J. Burns said Tuesday on the Dan Patrick Show that he's aiming to pursue options with basketball first before thinking about trying out an NFL career.

"I'd probably explore some other options with basketball first before all of that, but I'm not a close-minded person."

Here's the full clip of Burns' interview on Tuesday:

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Is DJ Burns an NFL draft prospect? NC State star to explore basketball options