James says he is best prospect
TALLAHASSEE — Florida State safety Derwin James barely broke a sweat during the school’s pro day Tuesday.
After lighting up the NFL combine with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, a 40-inch vertical leap, an 11-foot broad jump and strong drills that showed off his defensive back skillset, James participated in just one event — the three-cone drill — and comfortably socialized on the sidelines.
“I just feel like I’m the best player in the draft — there’s no question,” James said while meeting with media, echoing the statement former FSU standout Jalen Ramsey made two years ago during his pro day before becoming a top-5 pick selected by the Jaguars.
“I’ve showed everything I can show and proved everything I can prove,” James said.
“If they want to see a private workout, I can do that.”
James, wearing an Adidas hat backward and holding lighthearted conversations with Ramsey, opted to play it safe under the advice of his agent during pro day, which saw 18 other Seminoles aim to impress NFL scouts and executives in FSU’s indoor practice facility.
While NFL scouts and executives noted James played only two seasons at FSU after a meniscus tear sidelined him as a sophomore, his stellar combine performance may have eased those concerns.
James, highly regarded as the second-best defensive back prospect behind Alabama standout Minkah Fitzpatrick, is projected to be a top-15 pick in the draft, which begins April 26.
While the top three teams — the Browns, Giants
and Jets — are focusing on quarterbacks, the way the rest of the draft unfolds remains to be seen.
James is hopeful he does not have to wait too long to hear his name announced.
“Whatever team decides to pick me, the rest should take care of itself,” James said with a smile. “It should be very early, though.”
Sweat gains confidence
It has taken defensive end Josh Sweat some time to truly overcome the mental side effects from the gruesome knee injury suffered before his college career even began.
But Sweat surely seems to be in a better mental space in the final weeks leading up to the draft.
During the NFL combine, where Sweat impressed with a 4.53-second 40-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical leap and
10-foot broad jump, he performed without the clunky knee braces he wore throughout his three seasons at FSU.
“My biggest thing when I was coming out was everybody is going to wonder, ‘Is he fine?’ … If I’m still wearing it, they’re like, ‘Yeah, something is still going on,’ ” Sweat said.
“When I went to the combine, I checked out and there’s nothing wrong. But I knew that coming into it that if I would run fast and jump high, the odds would be in my favor.”
It’s only natural for NFL teams to be concerned. Sweat suffered a torn ACL and dislocation of the left knee during his senior season in high school and had a slight meniscus tear in the same knee as a sophomore in college.
But shedding the knee braces opened Sweat to a revelation he was hesitant to discover.
After working out without the brace for a few days, he decided to put them back on just to feel on the safe side.
“I worked out a couple days without it and I went to put it back on and it felt horrible,” Sweat said with a laugh.
Sweat said he has had lengthy discussions with the Seahawks and Buccaneers, but he feels the Rams are showing the most interest in him. He also had private workouts set up with the Rams, Giants and Titans, along with visits to other NFL teams scheduled for the coming weeks.
Cornerback Tarvarus McFadden; defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi; receiver Auden Tate; tight end Ryan Izzo; linebackers Matthew Thomas, Ro’Derrick Hoskins and Jacob Pugh; safeties Ermon Lane and Trey Marshall; and offensive lineman Rick Leonard were among the players who also participated in pro day.