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Meet the Newest New England Patriot: DJ James

Originally posted on Patriots Football Now
By Dan Kelley | Last updated Sep 16, 2024 5:27 PM ET

According to reports, there will soon be a new addition to the New England Patriots locker room. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that the team is adding cornerback DJ James. New England will need to make a corresponding move to make room for James. It seems likely that if Chukmura Okorafor remains on the inactive/left team list, starting left guard Michael Jordan could be signed to the 53-man roster.

Anticipating some movement on the Patriots' practice squad with the addition of CB DJ James (Auburn), per sources.

James was a 2024 sixth-round pick of the Seahawks (No. 192).

5-foot-11, 175 pounds. Ran a 4.42 in the 40. Played in 56 games in college, with 33 starts. 5 INTs.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 16, 2024

DJ James began his collegiate career with the Oregon Ducks, though he did not overlap with New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. James spent three seasons (2019-2021) at Oregon before transferring to Auburn for his final two seasons. He is a veteran of 56 college football games, amassing 148 tackles and five interceptions, including a pick-six.

DJ JAMES PICK-SIX!!!pic.twitter.com/dT2c4GVG6B

— Power of Dixieland (@PwrofDixieland) November 20, 2022

Pro Football Focus graded James favorably in both his seasons with the Auburn Tigers. He received an 82.3 in 2022 when he was named second-team All-SEC. Although he received no honors in 2023, his grade improved to 83.9.

In the Seven-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft on Patriots Football Now, Auburn’s D.J. James was projected to go at the end of Round 3 (his grade here was Round 3-4). However, he slid to Round 6, where the Seahawks selected James No. 192 overall. Despite being somewhat undersized at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, James did not play small in college and has excellent speed. He is a potential special teams contributor in the NFL.

James struggled in the preseason, earning a 54.4 grade from PFF. Still, it was surprising for the Seahawks to not cut a sixth-round pick back without bringing him back to their practice squad. Now DJ James is the newest member of the New England Patriots.

This article first appeared on Patriots Football Now and was syndicated with permission.

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