STRENGTHS
James might be the smartest receiver in this large and impressive receiver draft. I know he’s the best blocker and I know by being the smartest receiver, that’s how he gets separation when he runs his routes. James has talent and size and his upper body strength is impressive. He has good foot quickness and solid speed along with excellent eye/hand coordination to catch the ball in contested situations. But what allows him to get separation is his high football IQ and attention to detail. James reminds me a lot of a former Steelers receiver Hines Ward. Both players had solid talent to play the game but what set Hines apart from others was the blocking that he did on every play, even when the play was not to his side of the field. James has taken a page from the Hines Ward book of receiving by setting up his route running off his explosive blocking techniques. James has the ability and skills along with a high football IQ to become something special.
CONCERNS
James has average athletic talent, average speed, quickness, and size. So, teams looking for more explosive athletic talent will not be impressed with James’s overall athletic talent. James also needs to work on his hands, right now he has too many drops. That being said, the drop issue has nothing to do with him not having the eye/hand coordination to catch the ball. He is just trying to be too cute. trying to deceive the defender as to when he is ready to catch the ball in the middle of running his route. Trust me James will work on this and he will improve.
BOTTOM LINE 2.47
James explosive, jolting type of blocking is the key to his success for the next level. He blocks on every play and he hits his defender on every play, knocking them back and making his defender off balance. So, you tell me, what are you to do if you are the defender? I can tell you this if I was defending, I would not take my eyes off James for fear he would lay me out on the ground. I am also not looking into the backfield ready to jump routes because all I am thinking about is James blocking me. And if I am in zone coverage, I’m still waiting for him to come out to me and block me because that’s what he does on every play, zone or man coverage. If I know I’m more athletic than James, and can make plays against him, James intimidates me enough, to make his athletic talent equal to mine and that is why James is one of the smartest receivers in this draft. James makes his opponents on every play, run or pass, to his side or not to his side, think that he is going to block them and put them on the ground. That is how he gets separation when he runs his routes. Defensive backs are off-balanced and intimidated and all they think about is James and what he is going to do instead of what they should be doing. James will get deep when it is needed, and he will be open to moving the chains, and he will impact in the red zone and its all because defenders will have no idea if he is going to explode into them with a jarring block or run a route that gets him free. It’s a head game and James like Hines Ward will be in his opponent’s head all game long and on every play.
