AUBURN, Ala. – Some moments stay with you forever. For D.J. James, one of those moments came in September 2022 when he made his first start for Auburn.
James had just transferred to Auburn after spending his first three seasons at Oregon. It was the third game of the year. The Tigers were hosting No. 22 Penn State in a battle of undefeated teams. It was a sold-out crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium. And James, after playing well the first two games, earned the starting nod.
"Just coming out, running out of the stadium and seeing the crowd, 88,000 people, that's probably my biggest moment." James said. "It was an orange out. Just seeing the whole crowd wearing orange. It's a memory that will be in the back of my head forever."
James started every game for Auburn after that, amassing 22 starts in all. He finished with 75 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and 21 passes defended in two seasons on the Plains. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors following his junior season and has positioned himself to hear his name called in the NFL Draft this week.
Some believe James might be the first Auburn player off the board in this year's draft with most projecting him to be taken in the third round. Whenever that moment does happen, it's another one of those moments that will stay with him forever.
"It's something I've been waiting on my whole life," James said. "I always had a dream of going to the NFL. I'll be so happy. Tears of joy. It's just something I've been trying to achieve my whole life since being in park ball at 5 years old, playing full contact, and just continuing to train for it each and every year in the offseason."
James was the first person in his family to play college football. Soon, he'll have the chance to be the first in his family to play in the NFL.
"It's surreal," he said. "It's going to be a true blessing."
NFL Combine
40-yard dash: 4.42 seconds
Bench press: N/A
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: 10' 6" (Pro Day)
DJ James Backpedal and Break#NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/vbZqxfjZMN
— WalkTheMock (@WalkTheMock) March 1, 2024
Draft Analysis
A two-year starter at Auburn, James was the field cornerback in defensive coordinator Ron Roberts' zone scheme (with some man looks worked in). After three seasons at Oregon, he returned to his home state and led the Tigers in passes defended each of the last two seasons. A quick-reaction athlete, James has the twitchy feet and competitive demeanor to stay connected to the hips of receivers. Though he doesn't lack confidence, his marginal play strength and uneven results as a run defender will follow him to the pro game.
Overall, James won't be a fit for every scheme because of his undersized build, but his quick feet will help him maintain phase in coverage. If he can handle big slots and improve his consistency as a tackler, he will compete for a starting nickel role in the NFL.
Grade: 3rd Round (No. 92 overall)
- Dane Brugler, The Athletic (@dpbrugler)
Signature Moment
Running out of the tunnel against Penn State his first year at Auburn might be the top memory for James, but his signature moment came later that same season against Western Kentucky when he pulled down his first interception for the Tigers and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown to put the exclamation point on a 41-17 victory.
James was running across the middle, sticking to his receiver like a glove, and when the quarterback tried to throw it their way, James cut it front and picked it off. He followed his blockers and flipped into the end zone for the score.