Soon after the new league year began, the Buccaneers decided to trade long-time cornerback Carlton Davis (along with a couple of sixth-round picks) to the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick this season.
The extra draft cash gives Jason Licht, one of the best draft day maneuverers, considerable options, but it calls into doubt the team’s secondary depth. Jamel Dean remains a starter, but it appears that third-year veteran Zyon McCollum will start full-time for the first time in his career.
Will Tampa seek to reinforce the position? Auburn is an established pipeline for the Bucs, and cornerback D.J. James might be the next in line.
D.J. JAMES’S COLLEGIATE CAREER
James, a native of Spanish Fort, Alabama, graduated from high school in 2019 as a 3-star recruit, according to 247Sports, and had previously committed to Oregon. As a true freshman, he played 13 games, largely as a reserve. In 2020, he played seven games as a backup before taking over as a junior starter in 2021.He started 11 games, breaking up four passes and recording his first two interceptions, totaling 46 tackles.
In 2022, he transferred to Auburn, where he increased his PBU total to 8 and recorded another interception, earning him second-team All-SEC honors. He performed admirably again in 2023, recording 10 PBUs, two interceptions, and 38 total tackles.
PRO DAY AND SCOUTING COMBINE
James participated in a limited fashion at both the NFL Combine and the Auburn Pro Day (which took place March 22).
At the Combine, he ran a 4.42 40-yard dash with a 1.5 10-yard split but didn’t participate in anything else. He measured at 6-foot even and a lithe 175 pounds with 31” arms.
At his Pro Day, he stood on his 40 but did do the broad jump and recorded an impressive 10’ 6”. He also participated in on-field drills.
He does not properly qualify for composite metrics like Relative Athletic Score due to the lack of testing, but his weight ranks in the bottom 5th percentile of RAS, which may be concerning
