2. Brandon Stephens, CB –> RB, Ravens
Brandon Stephens may be listed as a cornerback, but that isn’t the position that he’s played for most of his football career.
Stephens excelled at Plano Senior High School in Texas as a running back earning numerous Power 5 offers following an excellent senior season.
He chose to commit to UCLA over schools like Stanford and found his way on to the field as a sophomore. Stephens rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown in his second year at UCLA, but plummeted down the depth chart the following year.
That’s when he made the decision to transfer to SMU where he switched to defense to become a cornerback. He had ideal size for the position at 6-foot-1, 213 pounds, so the switch made sense.
But it leaves us wondering — what if Stephens was given more of an opportunity as a running back at UCLA? Or what if he didn’t switch positions when he transferred to SMU?
Perhaps he could rectify that with the Ravens.
Stephens certainly has the speed for the running back position as he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at his pro day. And it’s not like he’s lacking in experience having played the position until 2019.
Much like Queen, it’s unlikely Stephens gets any reps at running back at any point in the future. But it sure would be fun to see him relive his glory days on the gridiron.