Detroit Lions

What if DeAndre Levy played running back instead of linebacker?

Published Sep. 2, 2015 9:22 a.m. ET

foxsports

DeAndre Levy is a fine outside linebacker. Last month, the Detroit Lions signed Levy to a four-year contract extension worth $33.7 million -- a testament to his value on the defensive side of the ball.

But what if he took a few handoffs, too?

In a recent Sports Illustrated piece titled "NFL Stars: Trading Places," the media outlet helped readers imagine what it would be like if some of the league's biggest playmakers decided to line up at a new position. Levy, for one, was featured as a running back.

Cool look at @SInow mag shoot. NFL players in new positions, feat. @Lions DeAndre Levy as a RB http://t.co/7Mc13DHnyq pic.twitter.com/0EzSZOlp1d
— Eamonn Reynolds (@Eamonn_Reynolds) September 1, 2015

"It’s the most parallel position to linebacker," Levy told Sports Illustrated. "You bang every play, find the running lane and hit or get hit. It’s all about physicality. I played running back in Pop Warner growing up in Wisconsin, and I was probably the most dominant back in all of the Midwest. If I played running back in the NFL, my speed and power would be unmatched. Just give me a year of training and I can do it."

Levy, 28, posted 151 total tackles last season (second only to Luke Kuechly's 153). Although the thought of him steamrolling opposing defenses as a running back is certainly enticing for Lions fans, the team will probably keep him where he's a proven commodity -- outside linebacker.

(h/t Sports Illustrated, @Eamonn_Reynolds)