DJ James has a below-average height for his position and is very lanky. Unfortunately, the major downside of his physique is his weight, which is only 169 lbs, which is really low. This naturally raises questions about his strength. Although he is aggressive and has fairly violent hands at the line of scrimmage, he gets physically dominated in some areas. He has good explosiveness and acceleration. However, his speed, especially his recovering speed (the speed to catch up with the wide receiver, usually on the deep level), is limited. He has a peculiar way of running, with his arms very low, which doesn't help develop power and speed.

Technically, James is good. His neutral backpedal is fluid but too high, his hips are fluid, and his transitions overall are smooth, except on in-breaking routes where he can occasionally lose balance. He is capable of changing direction easily thanks to very good footwork with light and explosive feet. He is a very energetic athlete with a good motor, which allows him to maintain a high level of athleticism throughout a game.

In press coverage, he shows flashes of good things. Thanks to his high frequency of footwork and patience, he consistently manages to mirror the receivers' movements during the release. He is capable of jabbing thanks to his fairly violent hands and good arm length. His trail technique (placing an arm on the receiver's numbers and pushing him towards the sideline) is executed moderately, and his lack of speed on the third level (deep) is a problem.  He gets overpowered by physical receivers at the line of scrimmage and can get burned by athletic receivers on deep routes.

In off-man coverage, he shows promise. He demonstrates patience, his side-saddle technique is good, and he manages the tempo of his routes and transitions well. He doesn't have real issues stopping, but as mentioned earlier, he can lose balance on breaks in. James is capable of playing in the slot, where his closing speed (The speed at which the defender moves from point A to point B to reduce the distance between himself and the ball carrier) is interesting.

In zone coverage, he was primarily used in Cover 3, and his click-and-close ability (the capacity to recognize plays and react quickly) is very good, enabling him to cut off passing lanes effectively. He has decent communication skills, but I would have liked to see more leadership from him. The fact that he wasn't always clear in his communication has cost touchdowns and big plays.

He has good ball skills when facing the play, his eye/foot/hand coordination is good, he has long arms and decent hands, but he can be manipulated by the QB. When he has his back to the play or has to cover long routes in zone coverage, he gets lost between the receiver and the QB, making him vulnerable to big plays.

DJ gets outmuscled against the run game, he is clearly targeted as the weak link by opposing offenses, and he lacks the power to shed blocks. Although he is committed against the run game, his tackling technique is poor, and he often aims to tackle at ankle level, which can result in missed tackles.

DJ James is an intriguing prospect but challenging to evaluate primarily due to his significant lack of weight and power. That's why I believe he will need to be in a system that emphasizes off-man coverage and Cover 3 to thrive. His qualities of quickness and good footwork are very promising, but what will the franchise that chooses him do with him? Do they leave him at his current weight, where he may struggle in an ultra-physical league? Or do they try to increase his weight, risking making him less athletically appealing, especially considering his already limited recovery speed?
Many questions remain, but as it stands, I believe DJ could contribute in a specific scheme at least as a very good rotational player, and at best as a number 2 or slot cornerback.
I evaluate DJ James as a late 3rd round pick.