STRENGTHS
James has good size and speed and excellent hands to be an impact receiver at the next level for the team that selects him. He looks to be an excellent teammate and looks like on film to have the work ethic that tells me that James is not done yet improving at his craft. What James brings to the table is the ability to catch the deep ball on the dead run and believe ne that is not a skill to be taken likely. Many receivers can not “consistently” catch the deep ball Like James can. James can burn a defense in single coverage and if you get confused in zone coverage he will fly right by you as the defensive backs are all looking at each other wondering whose responsibility James was as he is flipping the ball to the referee. James has been and big play receiver for his team and he has the potential to be an impact player for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Right now James is a one trick pony. He is slow off the line and his route running needs a lot of improvement. He has good speed but not elite speed and he seems to lack the quickness in his cuts to compensate for the lack of elite speed. He fights the ball and struggles to adjust to the ball on short routes but in his defense he doesn’t struggle adjusting to the ball and catching contested passes on the deeper routes. James has a second gear when he is being chased but it would not surprise me if he doesn’t time that well because at the combine no one will be chasing him. James is very raw at this point in running routes and has a lot to learn. If he has the work ethic and can take the big hits James has the potential to become more than just an impact receiver, he could turn into a franchise receiver because he has that type of size and talented hands.

BOTTOM LINE
His speed is good but he has to learn how to use his speed, changing gears, getting better separation, selling his routes, using his hands better off the line, and in general playing more physical. He has to learn how to read defenses on the run changing routes in concert with his quarterback. James right now is not up against corners and defensive backs that are physical with him and the physical corners at the next level will shock James at first and he will struggle until he steps up mentally. That being said if James has the work ethic and patience to improve he can become more than just a receiver who can impact on special plays. He has the size and hands to help on special teams returning punts and kicks and he has the skills to be more than a third receiver. James has the size and skills to become a franchise receiver if he wants it bad enough. For the purposes of this draft, you can only draft players with the information you have in front of you on that day. My information says that James is a specialty receiver with potential to impact on special teams and with the potential to work himself into the starting line up as a number 2 receiver. Anything else that James accomplishes beyond that potential will be all on him and credit will go to him and to him alone.

Drew Boylhart   JAN.2018