NFL Rumors: 5 Recent Draftees Who Might Be in Unusual Roles

The 2012 NFL draft has come and gone, bringing a fresh influx of new blood into the league.

While the vast majority of the players who were brought on board will continue on in the roles that they played in college, some will find that they are expected to make a change now that they’re in the big league.

Some of these changes are purely for physical purposes—a positional switch because of a body type more suited to one part of the field than the one they currently play.

Then there are those whose roles on the team will change for different reasons. Keep reading to find five recent draftees who might find themselves playing unusual roles on their new NFL teams.

Michael Floyd: Decoy

There’s no question that the Arizona Cardinals were in need of a second dominant presence at wide receiver to line up alongside Larry Fitzgerald, and they got that with their 13th overall draft pick of Michael Floyd.

Floyd has the potential to be an immediate difference-maker on the field, but perhaps not for the reason that he believes.

Floyd will see plenty of action on the field, but it is unlikely that he will see the bigger numbers that a traditional No. 2 receiver tends to chalk up in his first year with the Cardinals. Thanks to the continued uncertainty at quarterback, it seems much more probable that whoever is under center will continue to look first to Larry Fitzgerald and second to…well, anybody else.

Instead, Floyd will spend much of his time running routes as a decoy and blocking while Fitzgerald continues to see the majority of the offensive looks.

Morris Claiborne: Wide Receiver

Flexible doesn’t even begin to describe Morris Claiborne and his potential uses to the Dallas Cowboys.

In addition to being an outstanding cornerback and a potential kick returner who could rival former teammate Patrick Peterson, Claiborne has another big talent that opposing teams will have to account for: he’s a former wide receiver.

Those wide receiver hands will be dangerous in the body of a defender, and it has potentially big implications to the Cowboys’ already-potent wide receiver corps. Claiborne’s intimate knowledge of both sides of the ball means that the Cowboys will have the luxury to line him in unusual places at unexpected times.

Taylor Thompson: Defensive End

Taylor Thompson will find himself charting new personal territory in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans—or will he?

Although he played defensive end in college, Thompson decided to try his hand at transitioning to tight end. That’s what he was drafted for, and the Titans have made it clear that they believe in him.

To earn his keep in the NFL until he can make the transition, however, it is possible that Thompson will find that he must accept a role on the Titans defense as well.

Right now, with his highly-developed defensive skill set, he has the opportunity to make an immediate contribution to the team while he relearns the ins and outs of being a tight end. Accepting that role might be enough to keep him off the practice squad and give him an opportunity to clock some meaningful time on the field in his rookie year.

Kirk Cousins: Starter

After making a big trade up weeks before the draft, It was no secret that the Washington Redskins intended to take quarterback Robert Griffin III as the No. 2 overall pick.

What was surprising, however, was when the Redskins turned around and drafted quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fourth round.

Cousins has the potential to be a great quarterback in the NFL someday, but the interesting thing about kids like this is that they can turn into surprise talent when they hit the big time.

And the interesting thing about quarterbacks drafted with the No. 1 and No. 2 picks like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III? One of them tends to crash and burn.

If it turns out that Griffin III is the half of the duo who can’t live up to expectations, it could fall on Kirk Cousins to pick up the pieces.

Rhett Ellison: Team Leader

Rhett Ellison may not have expected to be drafted into the NFL, but the Minnesota Vikings saw enough potential in him to select him in the fourth round as a hybrid fullback and tight end.

He’s not just a great character story. He is the type of humble, physical presence who has the potential to become a leader both on the field and off.

Non-quarterback rookies often do not often have the chance to make a huge impact in their first season, but the Vikings might present Ellison with a unique opportunity.

The Vikings need a team leader, someone who can make a difference on the field—the Vikings need a powerful offensive presence to compliment young quarterback Christian Ponder—and they also need a grounded, intelligent presence in the locker room.

Ellison fits both of those roles to near perfection.

It will also help that he has a high level of intelligence, and that he has turned that intelligence to gaining a deeper understanding of how success in the NFL works.

Ellison had that type of motivation before a team in the NFL took a chance on him. Now that the Vikings have given him an opportunity, think of the inspiration he will bring to the locker room.