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I find it interesting that Minkah Fitzpatrick is constantly mentioned here as a sure fire top 10 pick but Derwin James is an afterthought. I think they have similar skill sets and would most likely be used all over the field by whatever team selects them. Each player has excellent tape. Athletically, James is bigger, stronger and certainly more explosive. He’s starting to get comps to Jalen Ramsey. He’s also been compared to Eric Berry by Mayock. None of this is a knock on Minkah as a player just an observation. I think either of these guys would be used as an aggressive weapon by Fangio. The other thing that’s great about these two is their ability to come up and blitz effectively off the edge when asked. Here is a section of an article I was reading this morning that I wanted to share.
“1. Derwin James Backs Up His Play
The Jets took defensive back Jamal Adams sixth overall last year despite his 31-inch vertical jump. In the past five years, top-10 picks like Justin Gilbert and Dee Milliner had pedestrian combine testing, too—neither jumped 40 inches in the air nor 11 feet on the ground. NFL teams have not made otherworldly athleticism a prerequisite for drafting a defensive player—but maybe they should.
A recent study showed that a defensive back who jumps 40 inches in the air has a 5 percent better chance of an NFL career than one who doesn’t. And in the crapshoot world of the NFL draft, that’s a bigger number than you think. Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey, last seen dominating at cornerback for Jacksonville’s league-best defense, also dominated at the combine. Two years ago, he jumped 41.5 inches in the air and 11 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump before the Jaguars selected him with the fifth pick.
Derwin James will naturally draw comparisons to Ramsey—he’s a Seminole and he’s viewed as having similar positional flexibility, though he will probably play safety or slot cornerback in the pros, while Ramsey has spent most of his time at outside cornerback. James is also, like Ramsey, one hell of an athlete. He posted an 11-foot broad jump and 40-inch vertical on Monday, which means that any team that wants to take him in the top 10, where he personally projects he’ll go, should feel great about doing so. James said he’s comfortable covering tight ends or playing deep in pass coverage, and he could conceivably line up anywhere on the field. In an era when offenses are getting more flexible every year, a player like James is as valuable as any non-quarterback.”
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/5/17083284/2018-combine-derwin-james-minkah-fitzpatrick-bill-belichick
Their synopsis...
“Both James and Fitzpatrick will be first-round picks, and you can find room for both in any defense in the league given their versatility, but if you’re rebuilding your secondary with a top-10 pick, I’d take the more explosive player.”
“1. Derwin James Backs Up His Play
The Jets took defensive back Jamal Adams sixth overall last year despite his 31-inch vertical jump. In the past five years, top-10 picks like Justin Gilbert and Dee Milliner had pedestrian combine testing, too—neither jumped 40 inches in the air nor 11 feet on the ground. NFL teams have not made otherworldly athleticism a prerequisite for drafting a defensive player—but maybe they should.
A recent study showed that a defensive back who jumps 40 inches in the air has a 5 percent better chance of an NFL career than one who doesn’t. And in the crapshoot world of the NFL draft, that’s a bigger number than you think. Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey, last seen dominating at cornerback for Jacksonville’s league-best defense, also dominated at the combine. Two years ago, he jumped 41.5 inches in the air and 11 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump before the Jaguars selected him with the fifth pick.
Derwin James will naturally draw comparisons to Ramsey—he’s a Seminole and he’s viewed as having similar positional flexibility, though he will probably play safety or slot cornerback in the pros, while Ramsey has spent most of his time at outside cornerback. James is also, like Ramsey, one hell of an athlete. He posted an 11-foot broad jump and 40-inch vertical on Monday, which means that any team that wants to take him in the top 10, where he personally projects he’ll go, should feel great about doing so. James said he’s comfortable covering tight ends or playing deep in pass coverage, and he could conceivably line up anywhere on the field. In an era when offenses are getting more flexible every year, a player like James is as valuable as any non-quarterback.”
https://www.theringer.com/2018/3/5/17083284/2018-combine-derwin-james-minkah-fitzpatrick-bill-belichick
Their synopsis...
“Both James and Fitzpatrick will be first-round picks, and you can find room for both in any defense in the league given their versatility, but if you’re rebuilding your secondary with a top-10 pick, I’d take the more explosive player.”
