Chicago Bears draft comparison: Minkah Fitzpatrick or Derwin James?

The Case for Derwin James

Now, THIS is a Ryan Pace-style prospect.

First of all, you can’t look the part of a monstrous cornerback/safety hybrid better than James at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds.

And when you see him running around on tape, the possibilities seem limitless for him.

Not unlike when Jalen Ramsey came out of Florida State two seasons ago, James’ skills and physical ability leave his optimal position slightly ambiguous coming out of college.

Sure, no one can envision Ramsey playing anywhere but cornerback right now. But entering the 2016 NFL Draft, some thought he could’ve succeeded just as well a rangy free safety.

Right now, James suffers, if that’s what you call it, from similar questions about his NFL position. Scouts view him largely as a safety but recognize his ability to play linebacker and even cornerback if asked.

He has the height, length (33-inch arms), speed (4.47-second 40) and explosiveness (40-inch vertical) to play as a big corner. Then again, his size and physicality absolutely scream “strong safety”. Letting him play in the box, hunt people in the run game and match up with tight ends just seems too logical not to do.

Also, he can do stuff like this.

Umm…wow. I can think of probably one defensive back (Kam Chancellor) in the NFL who does things like that, and that’s about it.

Seriously, though: does he want to play outside linebacker?

For that reason, comparing Fitzpatrick and James has a bit of an “apples to oranges” feel. That said, it’s worth making the comparison because they would probably perform in relatively similar roles if drafted by the Chicago Bears.

Fitzpatrick clearly plays smoother and more instinctively at this point in their development, and he certainly sits ahead of James in the “NFL-ready” department.

On the other hand, James radiates explosiveness and aggression without quite the refinement of his Alabama counterpart. While Fitzpatrick will probably start Week 1 of the NFL season somewhere, James is slightly less of a sure thing. And his learning curve could be a bit higher as well as he adjusts to whatever position he gets put at.

Also, if the Bears put him at safety, Amos could keep him off the field for a time (though not forever).

So, for Pace, it likely comes down to which you value more: the solid readiness or the slightly unpolished but incredible potential. And I think we all know what Pace’s track record on that question is.

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While Fitzpatrick is the better player right now, James may well end up the better player in the long run. And that might sway Pace to look James’ way rather than Fitzpatrick’s if the choice came down to them at No. 8.

If you asked me for my opinion, I’d roll with James.

I do love the chemistry aspect of drafting Fitzpatrick to play with Jackson again and think he’d be a worthy replacement for Amos if the Bears let him walk. So if Pace opted for him, that would still be a very good pick in my eyes.

But James has some truly monstrous capabilities, and his physical stature perhaps makes him even better equipped to develop into a dominant player.

Next: Which linebacker would Bears pick at No. 8?

Again, when you pick in the top 10, you want to make a splash. After all, the Chicago Bears hope they won’t pick there for a very long time. And James is arguably the rarer talent of the two.

That said, by next year, I would probably take either one of them over Amos. Just my two cents.