Derwin James

Derwin James

S

Florida State

Strengths

6′3"

Height

Weight

212

Bench	40-Time	10-Time	20-Time
21	4.47

Vertical	Broad Jump	20-Shuttle	60-Shuttle
40"

3-Cone	Hand	Arm	Wingspan

Final Grade

7.93

Derwin James is an excellent athlete with outstanding lateral quickness. He possesses the ability to plant his feet and drive toward the ball. He has the ability to shift his hips and move sideline-to-sideline on instinct. James has natural flexibility consistently playing with his knees bent and lowering his shoulder on contact. He has excellent speed, as he displays excellent burst when driving toward the ball carrier or mirroring a receiver. He has great recovery ability. James is one of the more explosive players in the draft class. He has the ability and power to run through contact and explodes to each area of the field. He is an effective blitzer when the situation calls for it. He is very instinctive player and possesses a quick first step. James is a very smooth athlete with the ability to cover in the slot. He is excellent in zone coverage and can read routes and jump in front of the ball effectively. He is a versatile defender that can be deployed anywhere on the field with the ability to support in the run game or cover a receiver. He has been deployed in each of the safety roles and as an in the box linebacker and can succeed in any role he is given. James is an alpha type leader, and when he talks others listen. He has excellent size, and has the necessary speed and power to produce early on in his career.

Weaknessess

Derwin James can occasionally get locked on a receiver routes losing sight of the quarterback’s eyes. He is slow to read the quarterback's intentions and can be slow in his reactions. He occasionally waits a step to late and can miss his window to help when playing the deep safety role. He can be too cautious in run support and absorb hits instead of initiating contact. He can become flat footed after contact and needs to use his explosive playing style on every play. He has a high intensity, but can tend to take plays off when he could make a play on the ball carrier. Derwin James can occasionally get locked on a receiver routes losing sight of the quarterback’s eyes. He is slow to read the quarterback's intentions and can be slow in his reactions. He occasionally waits a step to late and can miss his window to help when playing the deep safety role. He can be too cautious in run support and absorb hits instead of initiating contact. He can become flat footed after contact and needs to use his explosive playing style on every play. He has a high intensity, but can tend to take plays off when he could make a play on the ball carrier.

Injury History

Games Evaluated

Big Picture

Derwin James is an outstanding athlete with excellent size, power and speed. He is a versatile athlete with the talent to play in coverage or in the box against the run. He is an explosive player with the ability to run through the ball carrier; however, he can tend to be too cautious and absorb the hit instead of initiating contact. He has excellent speed with the ability to mirror receivers or play sideline-to-sideline. James is a smooth and fluid player with quick hips, which allows him to cover slots effectively. James has the talent, size and athleticism to compete and succeed at the next level. He will make an immediate impact as a versatile weapon that can be deployed all over the field.

Team Fit

Player Comp

Athleticism:

7.9

7.25

Derwin James displays excellent lateral quickness with the ability to plant and drive toward the ball. He can shift his hips and move sideline-to-sideline without hesitating. James keeps his knees bent and his pad level low throughout each play. He can rise on contact but generally leads with a low shoulder and initiates good form while tackling. James has outstanding speed for his size. He is a decisive player that can explode to the ball carrier, mirror receivers or recover when playing in zone. James is one of the more explosive players in this draft. He runs through contact and explodes to each area of the field. He can burst up field with ease and is always around the ball. James is extremely athletic and displays excellent instinct and a great first step. He keeps his pad level low and has the ability to stay on a receiver’s hip or find the ball carrier across the field.

Foot Quickness	Lateral Agility	Speed	Play Strength	Balance
	8	8		8

6.9 Coverage Ability:

7.25 Big Play Ability

Man Coverage	Zone Coverage	Recovery	Hip Fluidity
6.75	7.5		6.5

James doesn’t get much opportunity to play in press coverage; however, he has the athleticism and speed to mirror a wideout and the physicality to disrupt their route within the first five yards. Some NFL teams view him as a big-bodied corner, so he may need to play more press at the next level. James is a fluid athlete with good hips and excellent lateral movement. He has the speed and athleticism to mirror opposing players, but didn’t get to many opportunities to play in man coverage. Jones is an excellent zone defender. He can read offenses and jump routes effectively. He is always in the right spot to make a play on the ball or the tackle. He has the recovery speed to catch a receiver deep or to jump a route with the ball in the air. James is a very physical player and doesn’t let many players leave his zone without first getting a hand on them to disrupt part of their route. He has the ability to play in the box linebacker and knock a player off their path. James is very fluid and he showed his movement ability at the combine. Scouts were worried about his turning ability from his game film, but He looks very smooth on the field. He drops his hips well and keeps his knees bent. He uses his arms effectively to gain more speed while turning.

Playmaking:

7.17

7.25

He has excellent speed and outstanding instincts. He was the field general for FSU and displayed excellent closing speed and an explosive first step. He possesses the ability to find the football and make plays on the ball. He is a dynamic athlete with great ball skills. He is always around the ball. It is discouraging how he doesn’t have more interceptions when he is always in the right area of the field. He has great instincts and on-field awareness, but he can often get caught reading the receiver and forget to look at the quarterback’s eyes. This can delay his movement and his ability to break on a ball.

Closing Quickness	Ball Skills	High-Point Ability	Blitzing
8	7

Run Support:

7.67

7.25

James has outstanding burst upfield, as he displays a quick first step and is very decisive when deciding what to do on field. can explode to the ball carrier and is an excellent player in run support. He is a physical player that can use his length and power to fight through blocks. He is a quick athlete and can avoid contact without taking to much of a rounded angle toward the ball carrier. James is a great tackler who utilizes excellent flexibility and technique. He lowers his shoulder on impact and often explodes through contact. James is a sure tackler with the talent to wrap a ball utilizing is long frame. He tends to make runners head toward the sideline and doesn’t generally allow for a cutback lane. He can occasionally over pursue and miss a tackle. Although he is a very explosive player, he can become cautious and absorb contact while playing in the deep safety role rather than initiating the contact.

Engage with blocks	Range	Pursuit angles	Tackling
7	7.63		7.5

Competitiveness:

7.83

Aggression	Confidence	Consistency/Motor
7.5	8	8

He is a prototypical player who has the versatility to play anywhere on the field. He was deployed as a safety, corner and in the box linebacker throughout his career at FSU and will be used in similar fashion at the next level. He is a do it all defender. He has excellent size and play strength. He suffered multiple injuries throughout his career, including a torn ACL and cartilage damage in his knee. He doesn’t have many durability concerns heading into the NFL, but ACL injuries are never easy to move past. James has been a productive player throughout his career at FSU. He is a do-it-all player capable of playing in each area of the field. He has great combination of size, instincts, and athleticism that will help him succeed in the NFL. James has been a consistent force and leader in FSU’s defense. he has a high motor and can fly around the field competing sideline-to-sideline, but despite his intensity he can appear to coast on some snaps.

Intelligence:

8.67

7.25

James has excellent awareness and is a very instinctive player. He is field general who is around the ball on every play. James is a versatile player, and a leader for FSU. He plays in all areas of the field and displays the talent to effectively contribute in coverage or in the box as a linebacker. He has been an outstanding player since his freshman year at FSU. James is the leader on FSU’s defense and team. He acts as the alpha each time he is on the field or in the locker room and when he speaks he commands an audience. His teammates value his perception and words. When he talks players listen. He works hard in each phase of the game and can be counted on to be in position to make a play.

Play Recognition	Position Versatility	Communication
6.5	7.41	9