Auburn CB DJ James Has Been Excellent This Season for the Tigers

Auburn defensive back DJ James has been a shutdown corner for the Tigers this season.

After transferring in from Oregon a season ago, James has continued to play at an extremely high level, and his Pro Football Focus numbers continue to reflect it.

Per PFF, James is tied as the No. 7 cornerback in the nation with Central Michigan's Da'Raun McKinney. Both have a grade of 86.4. That's good for third in the SEC behind Alabama corners Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrian Arnold (86.6 and 87.4 grades).

Funnily enough, James is one spot ahead of former Auburn Tigers Kamal Hadden, who transferred to Tennessee and is currently graded as one of the best corners in the nation.

James has only allowed one touchdown this season while picking off two passes. His 89.8 coverage grade is sixth-best in the nation. He also boast an opponent passer rating of 64.5 and has collected seven pass breakups.

He's one of the reasons Auburn's PFF coverage grade is 91.1, good for 11th nationally.

The Tigers are going to need his best performance against Alabama in two weeks.

Auburn returns home to take on New Mexico State this Saturday, November 18th. Kickoff is at 3:00 pm CT on the SEC Network.