Seattle Seahawks Snag 'Make It Players' in Nehemiah Pritchett, D.J. James

After bypassing the Senior Bowl one year earlier, Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James both made strong impressions in Mobile, leading to each of them being drafted by the Seahawks.

Apr 8, 2023; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers linebackers coach Josh Aldridge celebrates with cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (18) and cornerback DJ James (4) during the annual Auburn Spring Game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports / John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Growing up just 40 miles apart in Alabama, Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James have known one another dating back to their prep days starring at Jackson High School and Spanish Fort High School respectively, and their football paths continue to intersect as they jump to the NFL.

After starting across from one another the past two years at Auburn and playing together at the Senior Bowl, Pritchett and James once again find themselves as teammates with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected both cornerbacks on day three of the 2024 NFL Draft. The pair of selections may have been the biggest surprises for the organization in this year's draft, as they already had Pro Bowlers Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon along with quality veterans Mike Jackson and Tre Brown on the roster.

Having scouted both players closely before inviting them two years in a row to showcase their talents in Mobile, however, Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy believes the Seahawks did an excellent job landing two "make it players" on day three rather than reaching for positions of need, an area he admitted the organization struggled at times when he served as a regional scout for five seasons.

"We offered both these guys a year ago. They were invited to the 2023 Senior Bowl and they both opted to go back," Nagy said of Pritchett and James via the Locked On Seahawks podcast. "These are two guys that took NIL money and went back to school. There were teams that have third round grades on DJ James and most teams had fourth round grades on Nehemiah Pritchett. So to get those guys a round or two later than the rest of the league had them valued, that's really good value. You're not reaching, you're just letting the board come to you. And when they're sticking out like a sore thumb like a grade or two higher than everyone else on your board, then that's who you take."

In earlier years, Pritchett and James may likely would have been part of the 2023 draft class and aiming to boost their value at the Senior Bowl. But as Nagy noted, the ability to earn lucrative money through NIL deals in a revamped college environment has provided more incentive for players to stay in school longer to further their development, and both cornerbacks decided against testing the draft waters despite being invited to the all-star showcase.

In hindsight, neither player should be faulted for that decision, as Pritchett and James weren't All-SEC performers during the 2022 season. While they were quality starters for the Tigers against the premier conference in college football, both had room to grow before making the jump to the NFL, and NIL afforded them the flexibility to sharpen their games.

Seeing consistent playing time in Auburn's secondary from his sophomore season in 2020 on, Pritchett tallied 115 tackles in his final four seasons on campus, proving himself to be a willing tackler who played with unexpected physicality despite a lean build. But prior to the 2023 season, he only had two interceptions, lacking the type of ball production expected from a top-flight NFL prospect at the cornerback position.

Playing the majority of his snaps outside, where Nagy projects he will play for the Seahawks, Nagy felt Pritchett demonstrated the most improvement in his extra year with the Tigers in the ball skills department. Even though Pro Football Focus only credited him with one interception and three pass breakups, he went to Mobile and got his hands on several passes during one-on-one and team drills, showcasing that growth against top competition with surprisingly little fan fare.

"I think where he made the biggest leap this year was finding the football and playing the football. I think that was a question mark, at least I had in the past, and it showed up during Senior Bowl week too," Nagy explained. "Going back through the practice tape and I'm like 'man why aren't the media talking more about Nehemiah Pritchett this week?' after I watched it because guy got his hands on a lot of footballs, so I think he made a nice jump that way this year."

As for James, his path to Auburn wasn't a direct one, as he originally left the state of Alabama to play at Oregon, spending three seasons with the program before then-coach Mario Cristobal bolted to Miami. Following the departure of the coach who recruited him to Eugene, he decided to go back home, transferring to join the Tigers and link up with Pritchett in the secondary.

Over the course of five collegiate seasons, James totaled 147 tackles, five tackles for loss, and five interceptions, including returning one for a touchdown in 2022. Like Pritchett, his ball production improved taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility at Auburn, as he nearly doubled his previous season-high with 10 pass breakups to go with two interceptions as a senior.

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Auburn Tigers cornerback D.J. James (4) warms up prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Despite playing for two different programs, Nagy had James on his radar all the way back to high school, as he was a member of the Senior Bowl's annual Future Prospect Team featuring local standouts around Mobile who received Division I offers. Keeping close tabs on him from that point forward, the ex-NFL scout sees a bit more positional flexibility in him, arguing his best bet in the pros may be playing inside in the slot after mostly playing boundary corner at Auburn.

"I think he's a better fit inside," Nagy said. "He's got really good short area quickness and trigger. But he can play outside too, he can really run. You know DJs thing is when he's focused and dialed in, this dude can cover anybody. He's got really good man cover skills. I think that he's got to focus in and tend to take the next step and I've talked to him about this, really staying dialed in throughout the play. Because when he's locked in, he's a really good player."

Given the star power and depth Seattle has in the secondary, Pritchett and James will face an uphill battle earning playing time on defense out of the gate. But both players have strengths that could allow them to be instant contributors on special teams, as Pritchett's 4.36 40-yard dash speed could make him a viable return specialist option and James has similar explosiveness coupled with physicality that would lend well to playing the gunner role on punt coverage.

In the final four rounds of the draft, when hit rates shrink substantially as the talent pool dries up, finding quality backups with starter potential should be the goal for every NFL team. As far as Nagy is concerned, even if Schneider had greater needs on the roster than cornerback in the present, the Seahawks played the right cards by employing that strategy and landing Pritchett and James, with the fact they were college teammates simply being a coincidental cherry on top.

"They're different players, so it's very cool to see, happy for those guys. I know they're tight... I think both those guys could be at worst third corners. If they pan out, maybe start, but you're talking about at worse like third or fourth corners that on day three, that's really good value."