Very grateful for this piece in the @nytimes today. Having fun on here. nytimes.com/athletic/7649512…

Could the tallest player in NBA Combine history change the outcome of a Super Bowl? Tacko Fall is in camp with the 76ers, but he hasn’t played in an NBA regular season game since 2021. I think an NFL team should test him as a field goal blocker. At the NBA Combine, Fall measured 7’7” in shoes, with an 8’2¼” wingspan and a 10’2½” standing reach. All three set clear Combine records. His reported maximum vertical puts his best possible fingertip touch around 12½ feet. He is currently listed at 311 pounds. Here is the strategy: put two interior defenders on one guard and give them one job. Drive him backward as far as possible. Do not jump. Do not stop to throw their hands up. Keep pushing. Fall rushes into the lane they create and times his jump to meet the kick. From the field goal rushes I’ve reviewed, interior defenders often get roughly a yard of push on a normal rush, with plenty of reps producing considerably more. Players and special teams coaches I’ve talked to believe that two defenders focused entirely on driving a guard backward could move him more than two yards into the backfield on some kicks. The test is exactly how far they can move that player. I analyzed 1,681 practice field goal kicks recorded with TrackMan’s ball tracking technology. Their median launch angle was 29.5°. Assuming an eight yard hold, my estimated median height for the bottom of the ball is roughly: • 11’6” one yard into the backfield • 10’0” two yards into the backfield At two yards, that estimated height is below Fall’s standing reach *without jumping*. At one yard, it is well below his best possible jumping touch. These are modeled ball heights, not predictions of his block rate. On either hash, I would start by testing the guard on the side toward the middle of the uprights. A live drill would measure the guard’s displacement, Fall’s timing and whether his hand actually reaches the ball’s path. The formation and jump must follow NFL rules. His teammates cannot push him into the formation or give him extra lift. I found no numeric glove finger length limit in the published rulebook, but I’d seek league review before giving Tacko 10XL Mickey Mouse gloves. From 2021 through 2025, just 1.9% of NFL field goal attempts were blocked, while about one in four regular season games ended within three points. Even a modest improvement in blocks could matter. I think the upside could be much larger. There may also be a “Wembanyama effect”: even when Fall does not block a kick, his presence alone could disrupt the entire field goal operation and reduce accuracy. There may be a red zone role, too. My best estimate from NFL defensive back data is that Fall’s standing reach is about 2½ feet higher than the average defensive back. That alone does not make him a receiver, but it makes a goal line package worth testing. I’ve discussed versions of this with NFL players, coaches and a GM. I know that GM explored a way to test it, and an active special teams coach has shown interest. When Fall’s basketball situation permits, bring him in for a controlled workout with a real snap, hold and protection unit. Measure what happens before making any roster decision. Minimal downside to testing. Potentially enormous upside if it works. One team gets to find out first.