The Patriots’ cornerbacks have come under some scrutiny after being exposed to injuries as of late. Top-end talent is no doubt there – Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are one of the best duos in the league, and Marcus Jones is a capable slot man. When the former two went down with injuries, however, it got fans thinking about what might happen if this occurred during the season.

Gonzalez has just 20 career games under his belt, and Davis has never played a full season; these concerns are very real. Alex Austin is the CB4 and a solid one at that. Beyond their first four, though, there seems to be something of a black hole on the depth chart, especially after Marcellas Dial tore his ACL on Tuesday.

Fortunately, the Patriots have several cornerbacks on the roster right now to fill the role left behind by Dial, including seventh-round pick Kobee Minor, Miles Battle, Isaiah Bolden, and UDFA Jordan Polk. They have been the primary competitors for that spot. But a new name has thrown his hat into the ring with his stellar camp performance: D.J. James.

DJ James has a real shot to make the Patriots 53-man roster this season

The 24-year-old cornerback spent the 2024 season on the team’s practice squad. The corner spent his college days with Oregon and then Auburn, and played well enough to be selected in the sixth round in 2024, but didn’t do enough to make the Seahawks’ roster. The Patriots added him in September, and he’s been in Foxborough ever since.

Now, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed seems to believe James has a real shot at making the final roster, according to a recent mailbag: “No one would have had him on their initial 53-man roster projections after free agency and the draft, but he’s been consistently repping as a top-five cornerback in practice.”

James’s emergence should be a major relief to the coaching staff and fans, but not unexpected. While James may have been a surprise, the team consistently finds cornerbacks from seemingly nowhere and manages to turn them into solid players (see Malcolm Butler, Jonathan Jones, J.C. Jackson, etc.).

James played primarily as a wide corner during his collegiate career and recorded 82+ overall PFF grades in his two seasons at Auburn. His 4.42 speed will be useful on special teams, too, particularly with Dial no longer a running mate for Brenden Schooler.

The preseason games will be a real test for James, and he’s likely to have every opportunity to perform. For the next few weeks, James will be one of the top names to look out for in his push to make the final roster.