The Seattle Seahawks made the somewhat confusing move of taking two different Auburn Tigers cornerbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, though both were later-round picks. Only one remains on the roster. DJ James, meanwhile, never made it to a regular-season game, at least not with Seattle.
James was so awful in training camp and the preseason after being taken that the team felt uncomfortable even keeping him on the 53-man roster. He was released after allowing eight of his nine preseason pass targets to be completed, two for touchdowns. Now, though, he has found a new football home.
James has signed with the UFL's Orlando Storm. This is basically like starting in the major leagues and then being demoted to a lower minor league team with very little hope of ever getting back to the bigs.
Failed 2024 Seattle Seahawks draft pick DJ James finds a new home
It isn't as if James didn't have a chance with another team besides the Seahawks, either. After being let go by Seattle, he signed with the New England Patriots to their practice squad. Last season, he even saw action in Week 1, where he played two defensive snaps and allowed a catch for 11 yards. He was released days later.
His Auburn teammate, Nehemiah Pritchett, wasn't much better for the Seahawks as a rookie after being drafted one round earlier than James, but he at least could play outside corner. At best, James was a nickelback who likely couldn't help against the run.
As good as general manager John Schneider's drafts have been overall the last few years, taking James and Pritchett after they weren't overly good at Auburn was strange. At least, the GM made up for his mistake by letting James go.
Maybe DJ James will find himself in the UFL. He will get paid to play football, though not nearly at the same rate he would in the NFL. If he can refine his technique and be productive, maybe another NFL team will take a chance on him.
Or maybe a prospective team gives the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots a call and finds out the truth about the football life of DJ James: It's not a good one. Or maybe James ends up signing with an NFC West rival, and Seattle can take advantage of the move. Almost anything is possible in the NFL, though James being a quality player might be one of the few things that isn't.
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