Roman Reigns Lists NFL Stars He Sees Succeeding In WWE

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns recently appeared on ESPN First Take to promote this week's season premiere of Friday Night SmackDown and to offer his opinions on the ongoing NFL season.

Reigns, a big fan of the San Francisco 49ers, was asked which current NFL star has the most potential to transition to the world of sports entertainment.

"The idea is to mesh the swagger that a [defensive back] possesses with the physique and build of a D-Liner," said Reigns. "That's why I think Aaron Donald would be a really nice addition to WWE. You take that helmet off of him, you let him come off his shell and a lot can be achieved.

"He's already a dominant athlete. If you can just teach him to brag about that stuff, he can make an easy transition to the WWE," he added.

Reigns also gave props to former WWE 24/7 Champion Rob Gronkowski, saying he feels Rob is "built for sports entertainment" and would be welcomed back by WWE fans if he ever retired from football again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star also hosted WrestleMania earlier this year.

When asked about his 49ers benching quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, Reigns said "football was always about the next man up", and he was willing to give CJ Beathard an opportunity to shine.

Reigns, who went undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft, played one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Edmonton Eskimos. As a defensive tackle for Georgia Tech, he was also the teammate of Detroit Lions great Calvin Johnson.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit ESPN First Take with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.