5 Reasons LeBron James Would Be Better TE Than Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham

Few basketball players could switch over to football. LeBron James is one of the few. With his size and skills, he could easily be a better tight end than Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski.

James is faster and bigger-framed than both Graham and Gronkowski. As a basketball player, his hand-eye coordination is also much better than theirs.

Here are five reasons why James would easily be better than either of these guys.

He's Bigger

Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham are both very big guys at 6'6" and around 260 pounds.

LeBron James actually has a bigger frame than either of them. He's 6'8' and, although he only weighs in at around 250, he could easily put on more weight. With his frame, he could be at 275 and still be pure muscle.

Size is important for tight ends who must block and use their bodies to make catches. James' larger frame would help him be better at both of those things than Graham or Gronkowski.

He's Faster

On the fastbreak, there is no one faster than LeBron James.

I know that Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham are fast guys, especially for their position, but I find it hard to believe they'd be as fast as James.

Pads do make a difference in a player's speed, but so does dribbling a ball, which James can do while blurring.

He's Quicker

Lateral quickness is something that is ultra important in the NBA. LeBron James has the best lateral quickness in the NBA for his size. At 6'8", James' ability to stop on a dime and change direction is one of the qualities that makes him so difficult to contain.

While not as important in the NFL as in the NBA, lateral quickness is important for offensive skill players such as tight ends. Getting open against NFL defenders isn't easy, it takes lateral quickness to make good cuts.

James, as an NBA player who's worked on lateral quickness more than the average NFL-er, would be better at doing that than Gronkowski and Graham.

He's More Coordinated

LeBron James is arguably the best and most athletic dunker in the NBA. That kind of body control and coordination is exactly what a pass-catcher needs to catch a jump-ball in the NFL.

He also has good hands and can catch and finish any alley-oop thrown his way.

No one can watch the above clip and tell me that James couldn't catch touchdown passes (Dwyane Wade as a quarterback?).

He Can Jump Higher

This is the biggest no-brainer of the list.

LeBron James is obviously a better jumper than Rob Gronkowski or Jimmy Graham. There are some passes thrown in the NFL that James could catch that these two other guys couldn't, simply because of how high the ball would be thrown.

James' jumping ability would give him the best range in the NFL. No other pass-catcher could match it, including Gronk or Graham.