What if 2020 Tokyo Olympics had NFL? Building football lineups for potential Team USA and Team World rosters

Around the NFL, training camps are about to get underway. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, some of the world's best athletes are going head-to-head in the Summer Olympics. American football, of course, is not part of the international competition, having appeared just twice in the Olympic Games -- in 1904 and 1932, each time as a demonstration sport rather than medal competition. But what if the gridiron were a regular part of the world's biggest athletic stage? Who would represent Team USA, and who would suit up for other countries?

We're so glad you asked. In the spirit of Olympic battles, we combed through the best of the best football players -- both American and otherwise -- to project lineups for a would-be Team USA and Team World, with the latter comprised of the best active or recently active pros born outside the United States:

Team USA

Position	Player	Team	Birthplace
QB	Patrick Mahomes	Chiefs	Texas
RB	Derrick Henry	Titans	Florida
WR	Davante Adams	Packers	California
WR	Tyreek Hill	Chiefs	Georgia
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	Cardinals	South Carolina
TE	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	Ohio
LT	Trent Williams	49ers	Texas
LG	Quenton Nelson	Colts	New Jersey
C	Corey Linsley	Chargers	Ohio
RG	Zack Martin	Cowboys	Indiana
RT	Lane Johnson	Eagles	Texas
DE	T.J. Watt	Steelers	Wisconsin
DT	Aaron Donald	Rams	Pennsylvania
DT	DeForest Buckner	Colts	Hawaii
DE	Myles Garrett	Browns	Texas
LB	Fred Warner	49ers	California
LB	Eric Kendricks	Vikings	California
CB	Jalen Ramsey	Rams	Tennessee
CB	Jaire Alexander	Packers	Pennsylvania
CB	Marlon Humphrey	Ravens	Alabama
S	Tyrann Mathieu	Chiefs	Louisiana
S	Justin Simmons	Broncos	Virginia
K	Justin Tucker	Ravens	Texas
P	Johnny Hekker	Rams	Washington

If Team USA reads like a standard All-Pro team, that's because it basically is. And it's a testament to the star power of American-born talent in the sport, which is called American football for a reason. The U.S. boasts a clear majority of the world's greatest current football players, but that's probably partially because other countries don't also boast the platform that is the NFL. It would be hard for any lineup to beat this one, and that would probably remain true even if you swapped out every starter with other NFL elites a good three or four times. Who's betting against them dropping 45 points in any given matchup?

Team World

Position	Player	Team	Birthplace
QB	Robert Griffin III	Retired	Japan
RB	Chuba Hubbard	Panthers	Canada
WR	Chase Claypool	Steelers	Canada
WR	Nelson Agholor	Patriots	Nigeria
WR	DaeSean Hamilton	Broncos	Japan
TE	Tim Tebow	Jaguars	Philippines
LT	Jordan Mailata	Eagles	Australia
LG	Mike Iupati	Retired	American Samoa
C	Brett Jones	Free agent	Canada
RG	Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	Chiefs	Canada
RT	Penei Sewell	Lions	American Samoa
DE	Danielle Hunter	Vikings	Jamaica
DT	Linval Joseph	Chargers	Virgin Islands
DT	Christian Covington	Chargers	Canada
DE	Emmanuel Ogbah	Dolphins	Nigeria
LB	Leon Jacobs	Jaguars	Nigeria
LB	Mark Nzeocha	Free agent	Germany
CB	Pierre Desir	Seahawks	Haiti
CB	Ryan Smith	Chargers	Germany
CB	Nevin Lawson	Raiders	Jamaica
S	Patrick Chung	Retired	Jamaica
S	Jevon Holland	Dolphins	Canada
K	Younghoe Koo	Falcons	South Korea
P	Michael Dickson	Seahawks	Australia

If Team USA is indicative of America's monopoly on pro football talent, Team World is doubly representative of the rest of the globe playing catch-up. Just look at the most important position: Unless you're inspired by Broncos reserve Brett Rypien, RGIII arguably offers the most upside, and he just retired from the NFL after an extended run as a backup. At least the pass catchers and offensive linemen offer significant NFL experience. Oh, and you didn't think you'd get rid of Tim Tebow that easily, did you? The guy's never played tight end until now, but if anyone's built to flex their athleticism on this kind of stage, it's him.