16 World Footballers Who'd Make Great Wide Receivers in the NFL

Wide receivers are the glamor boys of American football.

They catch passes, they score touchdowns and they bask in more than their fare share of glory. They sign outrageous contracts, they behave like divas and they benefit from arcane, eternally changing rules that forbid almost any touching by defenders.

If that sounds like fun, it is. But why should Americans have all the fun? We've compiled a list of 16 world footballers we think would make fine wide receivers, and for the most part they're a pretty fun-loving group.

The criteria behind our selections were varied: Height, speed and temperament all factored into the selection process, among other traits.

Peter Crouch

Stoke City forward Peter Crouch is 6'7" and he already has his touchdown dance ready. Besides, can you imagine how funny it would be to see that man take a hit from this man?

Somebody needs to sign him today. If not for those reasons, they should still do it so we can see more of Abbey Clancey in America.

Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale, on the other hand, seems like a guy who could take a hit. Spanish newspaper El Mundo once likened him to a hybrid of track star and rugby player.

Not bad for a 22-year-old Welshman. He would be huge in America.

Per Mertesacker

German defender Per Mertesacker comes from the Peter Crouch family of footballers. He's tall (6'6"), he's gangly and he looks goofy.

That has to be good for at least five touchdowns a season, right?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Diva? Check.

Height? Eh, 6'2" will do.

Ginormous contract? Oh yeah.

Tim Howard

Tim Howard is an American, so he knows American football.

He's a goalkeeper, so he has good hands.

And he stands 6'3" and weighs 210 pounds, so he's the right size.

Christopher Samba

Speaking of the right physical attributes, here's Christopher Samba.

Samba is a Congolese defender who's currently on the books at Blackburn Rovers (though probably not for long).

His height is 6'5" and his weight is 185 pounds; that's almost ideal.

Jerome Boateng

Jerome Boateng's brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng of AC Milan, has the flashiness and big mouth of an NFL wide receiver.

But Jerome—6'3", 198 pounds—is the right size.

Pepe

Earlier we linked to a video of NFL linebacker Ray Lewis (here are some more, just for fun).

Here's the thing: If you're going up against guys like Lewis, you might want to play like Real Madrid's Pepe.

That's one guy who wouldn't be afraid to run a crossing route.

Gennaro Gattuso

Along those lines, there's also AC Milan's Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso.

Think Italian men are soft? Well, maybe so. But not Gattuso.

Imagine Gattuso running bubble screen after bubble screen. Defenders would be too scared to stop him.

Theo Walcott

Or there's always the option of outrunning defenders. (Yes, we know Devin Hester is a return man. Work with us.)

Theo Walcott could probably do some damage that way.

Lionel Messi

Here's another speedster you might have heard of: Lionel Messi.

Check out his body control. Sure, he's short, but he'd be almost impossible to tackle.

Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba is big, strong, fast and completely full of himself.

How he's not an NFL wide receiver already, only he knows.

Mario Balotelli

Those same descriptors could be used for Mario Balotelli as well.

If things don't work out at Manchester City, the New York Jets would be a perfect fit.

Joe Hart

Let's hear it for the goalkeepers. In general, they're tall and athletic, and they should, by necessity, have great hands.

Joe Hart, the No. 1 goalie for Manchester City and England, fits the bill well. And besides, he's already shown that he's multi-talented.

Steve Mandanda

Steve Mandanda is a French keeper who's known for making acrobatic saves.

That kind of athleticism is generally considered a good trait in wide receivers.

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll, a 6'3" English striker, has struggled to score goals since making a £35 million move to Liverpool.

That wouldn't be a problem in the NFL. He could be an old-fashioned possession receiver like Michael Irvin.

Anyone we missed? Leave a comment.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeCummings37