Meet the Newest New England Patriot: DJ James

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.