Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Julian Edelman, and Rich Gannon are among the notable NFL players who enjoyed great success after switching from their natural positions during their careers.
They also serve as examples to all footballers that it’s never too late to switch positions, especially if you’re a player who’s struggling in his natural spot.
And maybe, just maybe, these 10 struggling NFL players could revive their careers if they were to try a different position…
Should these NFL players consider changing their playing positions to revitalize their careers?
Trey Lance: Wide Receiver
The San Francisco 49ers surrendered a king’s ransom to the Miami Dolphins for the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With that selection, the 49ers took North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.
After backing up Jimmy Garoppolo in his rookie year, Lance entered 2022 as the starting QB. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, and the unexpected rise of Brock Purdy prompted San Fran to trade Lance to the Dallas Cowboys after just four starts.
Lance saw no playing time as Dak Prescott’s backup in 2023. Heck, he’s not even the No. 2 QB on the depth chart. That role is saved for Cooper Rush, one of the league’s best backup QBs.
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So, at this rate, Lance’s best bet at sticking around in the NFL in the long term may be to change positions. And given his skill set, why not wide receiver?
Lance dazzled as a dual-threat QB in college. He had 1,100 rushing yards and 14 rushing scores in the 2019 season alone. One might argue that Lance would be better off at running back, but his 6-4 and 226-pound frame makes him an enticing option to try out at receiver.
Lance’s speed and athleticism mean he could flourish as another receiving option behind CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks. If anything else, they could use him in a Taysom Hill-like role, where Lance plays QB, receiver, tight end, and running back.
Call us foolish now, but don’t forget Julian Edelman was a college quarterback before becoming Tom Brady’s favorite wide receiver in New England. Even Terrelle Pryor had a 1,000-yard season as a receiver after an uninspiring start to his NFL career as a quarterback.
Jamal Adams: Linebacker
Adams was one of football’s premier defensive players in his three years with the New York Jets, hence the Seattle Seahawks’ decision to acquire him in a 2020 blockbuster trade that included two first-round picks as part of the package.
Adams was a major problem in coverage during his run with the Seahawks, but they had good reason to overlook it: His 9.5 sacks in the 2020 season marked a single-season record for a defensive back and helped Seattle win the NFC West division crown.
However, injuries limited Adams to 22 games over the next three years, and he didn’t have a single sack in that period. That left Seattle with an easy choice to cut the three-time Pro Bowler in a cap-saving move this offseason.
Interestingly, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported after the draft that Seattle is leaving the door open to bring back Adams if he’d be willing to make the switch to linebacker. Add us to the list of those endorsing the idea.
I mean, why not? The 6-foot-1, 213-pound Adams has enough size to be a quality linebacker in this league. His calling card is the pass-rush anyway, so why not go there instead of being the occasional pass-rusher of a safety who still gets lit up in coverage time and time again?
Adams isn’t even 30 yet. There’s time to revive his NFL career, but he’ll need to change positions to do so. And linebacker is exactly where he should go.
Isaiah Simmons: Cornerback
The Clemson product played corner, safety, linebacker, and defensive end at college. That versatility and elite athleticism made Simmons a can’t-miss prospect, and the Arizona Cardinals selected him eighth overall in 2020.
But fast forward four years later. Simmons is now on his second team and hasn’t come anywhere close to reaching his potential in the NFL.
After three disappointing years in Arizona, Simmons was traded to the New York Giants in 2023. Simmons was mostly a safety and special teams player, tallying one interception and three pass breakups.
At this rate, we’d like to see Simmons try ANOTHER position change. It didn’t work at linebacker, and his play at safety last year left a lot to be desired.
That brings us to the cornerback position. Could you imagine an insane athlete of his size — 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds —- matching up against the opposition’s top receiver? I mean, even just seeing Simmons try it out against guys like Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and Davante Adams would be worthwhile.
Simmons’ freakish athleticism, physicality, and frame could actually make him a quality shutdown corner in football. We’re not saying he’d be a lock to succeed there, but we’re also saying the Giants don’t know what they have with Simmons as a possible cornerback unless they try it out…
Chase Claypool: Tight End
After the Chicago Bears traded Claypool to the Miami Dolphins, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones indicated that the Canadian kid might make a switch to tight end.
That didn’t happen, and Claypool was hardly seen in his short-lived stint with Miami. He was given another chance, however, after signing with the Buffalo Bills in free agency.
At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, Claypool has the ideal build to be a tight end. His lack of explosive speed will prevent him from being a star in the NFL, but the two-time 800-yard receiver might as well give it a go at TE.
I mean, Claypool isn’t stealing reps from Buffalo’s top receivers, such as Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, and Marques Valdes-Scantling. But what if the Bills’ crafty, offensive-minded coaches decided to give Claypool a look at tight end?
Claypool doesn’t offer much of a route-running tree. But he can succeed in third-down situations and in the red zone, especially on Josh Allen’s deadly play-action passes.
So, instead of being like a No. 6 receiver or whatever in Buffalo, we’d like to see Claypool try his hand at forming a dynamic tight-end tandem with Dalton Kincaid. I mean, what does Claypool have to lose?
Jeff Okudah: Safety
Injuries have limited the former Ohio State cornerback to 38 total games over his first four NFL seasons.
The Detroit Lions quickly gave up on the third overall pick of 2020 by sending him to the Atlanta Falcons ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Okudah was not brought back following a lackluster season there, and he wound up signing with the reigning AFC South champion Houston Texans.
Okudah has been a liability in man coverage throughout his NFL career, so it’s hard to imagine him lasting at corner much longer.
According to Pro Football Reference, Okudah has allowed a passer rating of 87.6 or higher when targeted in each of his first four seasons.
But maybe Okudah could revive his career if he made the move to safety. I mean, New England Patriots legend Devin McCourty was a mainstay following a move there after struggling at cornerback.
Okudah may not have the speed and build to hang in there with the opposition’s top wide receivers, but his football IQ and nose for the football could make him a quality starting safety in today’s NFL.
Hey, it’s worth a look…unless he wants to remain a backup-level cornerback.
Also Read: 10 NFL Careers That Were Sadly Cut Way Too Short
Kenneth Murray: Defensive End
Murray landed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason after a disappointing four-year run with the Los Angeles Chargers.
The No. 23 pick of 2020 was constantly picked apart in coverage and finished with only five sacks. Also, he never finished with a PFF grade of higher than 54.4 in a single season.
Murray’s best trait in college was the pass-rush. He had 8.5 sacks over his last two seasons there, but his other skills at Oklahoma just didn’t translate over to the NFL.
Now that Murray plays in Tennessee, it feels like an opportune time for him to try his hand at defensive end. The Titans have one of the league’s better front sevens led by Jeffery Simmons, Arden Key, Harold Landry, and promising rookie T’Vondre Sweat.
Maybe a move to defensive end — or even defensive tackle — could help Murray hit his ceiling. It’d allow him to focus mostly on honing his craft as a pass-rusher without the stress of playing man-to-man coverage — something he’s obviously not cut out for.
Evan Neal: Guard
It’s hard to remember now, but there was a time when Neal was among the favorites to go first overall in the mediocre 2022 NFL Draft class.
Of course, that honor wound up going to Travon Walker. Neal, a star offensive tackle from Alabama, went seventh overall to the New York Giants — two years after they used another early pick on fellow tackle Andrew Thomas.
But Neal has been, literally, one of the worst starters in football since his rookie year. According to Pro Football Focus, Neal has allowed nine sacks and committed 12 penalties — with his 2022 and 2023 PFF grades coming in at 44.1 and 39.8, respectively.
Neal might not end up cutting it at offensive tackle, but the Giants should see if a switch to guard will reverse his fortunes.
Neal hasn’t been able to handle the opposition’s top edge rushers, but maybe he’d have better luck in the interior o-line.
As a guard, he could use that mammoth 6-foot-7, 340-pound frame to bully his way over less-speedy and athletic players like defensive tackles and linebackers. Neal’s build makes him better suited to deal with men of similar size as opposed to more explosive and dynamic guys who play off the edge.
It’s worth a shot as opposed to the status quo. Just saying.
Devin White: Defensive End
White is one of the more baffling players in recent memory. The No. 5 pick of 2019 was a beast in his first two seasons, and you can argue he was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers most valuable player of the postseason in their Super Bowl 55 run after Tom Brady.
That year, White had four pass breakups, nine sacks, and 140 combined tackles. In three playoff games, he had two interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles en route to a Super Bowl title.
But White’s play has inexplicably regressed ever since. He has been downright helpless in pass coverage, and PFF has graded his run D at 46.9 or lower in each of his first five seasons.
White’s best skill was always rushing the passer. With 23 career sacks and 86 pressures dating back to 2020, White has made his mark as a wreaker of havoc in the NFL trenches. Now…if only he could be stopped being relied upon in coverage.
White got the fresh start he sorely needed by landing with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. And they already have two promising linebackers, Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean, so there’s no sense in placing White as a linebacker.
The Eagles should put White at the defensive end and let him focus mostly on chasing the QB with Philly’s loaded group of pass-rushers, namely Jalen Carter, Josh Sweat, and Bryce Huff. Just maybe White will regain his Pro Bowl form if he’s put in a position to maximize his best skill.
Marcus Mariota: Wide Receiver
It’s unfortunate that the No. 2 pick of the 2015 NFL Draft could never find his touch as a pocket passer because the other tools were there.
One of the fastest QBs to ever take the field, Mariota got by as Tennessee’s starter for four years because of his dual-threat game. Remember, this guy was once clocked at 21.05 MPH on a running play in a 2019 game by Next Gen Stats.
Since 2019, Mariota has only been the primary starting quarterback once — with the Atlanta Falcons in the 2022 season.
Similar to Trey Lance, we’d like to see Mariota make a move to wide receiver. His speed and 6-4 222-pound frame could make Mariota a difference-maker in the right offensive scheme. OR, may we again suggest a Taysom Hill Swiss Army Knife-like role?
Rather than switch teams to be a clipboard holder each year, Mariota should try his hand at receiver and see if it can save his NFL career. Otherwise, it won’t be long until he’s out of the league altogether.
Justin Fields: Wide Receiver
We conclude this list with one last pitched idea of a former highly-touted QB making a switch to pass-catcher.
Yes, there’s time for Fields to revive his NFL career following a trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Even if the former Ohio State QB doesn’t replace Russell Wilson in Steel City, he’s a free agent in 2025 and should draw considerable interest.
But instead of thinking about becoming a starting QB again…why not try his hand at wide receiver? For what it’s worth, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren stated that the team discussed using Fields as a kick returner.
Fields hasn’t cut it as a passer, with just 40 TD passes and an average of 166.9 passing yards per game through his first three years. However, he has dazzled as a runner with 2,220 rushing yards and 14 TDS on the ground — including a whopping 1,143 rushing yards alone in the 2022 season.
At 6-3 and 227 pounds, Fields has the size to be a menacing pass-catcher in this league. As a quarterback, he already has mobility, agility, speed, and balance aspects, so he could easily find success as a route-runner.
Fields’ build isn’t enough to be a tight end or running back, but he could be an impactful wide receiver in the right offense.
And if it doesn’t work, Fields can go back to QB. But his enticing skill set and dual-threat game make him a guy worthy of a look at wide receiver.
