From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Florida linebacker Shemar James.
No. 6 Shemar James/LB Florida – 6013, 222 pounds (Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Shemar James | 6013/222 | 8 1/2″ | 31 1/2″ | 77 3/4″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.69 | 1.56 | 4.27 | 7.09 | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’9″ | 32.0 | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Decent athletic ability
– Flies to the ball with aggressiveness
– Uses fast long speed to track down ball carriers
– Sheds blocks with good hand usage
– Avoids blocks with quick twitch
– Great play strength
– Contact balance makes his second effort effective
– Used effectively as a blitzer
– Quick break on the ball in pass coverage
– Offers good help in zone coverage when not threatened
– Covers tight ends and running backs well in man coverage
– Does a solid job of walling off vertical receivers
– High motor team leader
The Bad
– Late reaction to play action and reverses, eyes get stuck in the backfield
– Slow change of direction when needing to flip whole body
– Slower burst that puts him at a disadvantage off the snap
– Can be undisciplined when fitting his gap
– Leaves feet too early, causing missed tackles
– Needs to get physical on vertical routes in zone coverage
– Loses at the catch point down the field
– Rotating linebacker group that raises concerns about stamina or every down availability
Bio
– Started 25 games across 3 years at Florida
– 2024: totaled 64 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 2 QB hurries, and 3 PBU’s
– Was named a team captain
– Competed in the 2025 Senior Bowl
– 2023: 55 tackles, 5.5 TFL, and 1 sack
– Started the first 8 games of the season before suffering a season-ending knee injury that required surgery
– Was placed on SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll in 2023 and 2024
– 2022: 47 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 QB hurries
– Received Freshman All-SEC honors
– 5-star prospect out of the Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama
– Rated the No. 6 linebacker in the country and the No. 3 prospect in Alabama
– Also competed in basketball and track
– James had to leave Faith Academy before his senior season due to personal reasons, missing his last year of high school football
Tape Breakdown
Shemar James is a player who caught my eye at the Senior Bowl, so I was excited to watch his film and see if that translated to game tape. Overall, I was impressed with what I saw.
James is a good athlete with some difficulty with change of direction and explosiveness, but when he gets moving and the play develops, he can make impact plays. When the lineman tries to block him at the second level, he can avoid their blocks with a quick juke and attack the ball carrier. He lacks the burst to get up to the line quickly and shoot gaps, but his speed increases as he begins to run. His testing numbers match how he plays on the field, as his 10-split is slow, but he recovered and found his second gear later in the run. When he needs to chase a ball carrier down, he shows great hustle and will to win as he can hawk down a speedy rusher from behind, as shown on this play.
In coverage, he has a quick break on the ball when guarding short or intermediate routes that will catch you by surprise. He quickly reacts to receivers’ breaks and does a good job of walling off a vertical route. If he plays off the ball about 7 yards, he can run sufficiently vertically while trusting his safety help. He needs to use his hands more in zone coverage to reroute receivers. He began to do it as the season progressed, but that will greatly help him in coverage. The problem I see James having is when he needs to change his direction completely as he loses a lot of speed. That lack of explosiveness is seen in his vertical and broad jumps. As a blitzer, he is a reliable option based on his great play strength and high motor skills. If a running back attempts to block him, he can either bull rush right through him or use his hands to get around him. But most of the time, it is because of sheer will. The motor he plays with shows up on this play in a big win against LSU.
The most impressive thing about James’ tape is his strength. He plays with a low pad level, which gives him a strong base to lift and take on blocks. He has great contact balance and never falls on the ground. This helps him specifically in the run game, as he stays on his feet and can stick in his gap. He uses his strong upper body to get the lineman off him when he is blocked at the second level. His ability to shed blocks will be the reason he sees the field. On this play, he takes on the block with squared shoulders and a good base and makes the minimal gain tackle.
James does many positive things on the field, but some negatives need to be cleaned up. To start, his general awareness can use work, as he gets easily sucked in by play action or RPO’s and can be a second late reacting to where the ball is. A big concern I have is his discipline in filling gaps, which is the most important part of defending the run as a middle linebacker. He is inconsistent at best but has some mistakes that simply do not need to happen. In the NFL, one missed gap can be the difference between a 2-yard gain and a touchdown. James has the boundary A-gap in this play but hops out of it as the lineman approaches. Luckily, it does not hurt his team, but Texas gets an explosive play if #7 does not make a play.
Another inconsistent issue that James has is his tackling technique. It is obvious he is pound-for-pound one of the strongest players on the field, but he rarely attacks a ball carrier with his whole body. He leaves his feet too early, diving at ankles. A strong ball carrier will break through that. When he is close to the ball carrier, he wants to use his arms instead of sticking his shoulder pad into the chest. On this play, he dives at the legs when he does not need to, and the running back breaks through his arms.
Conclusion
Shemar James is a young, raw player who does many positive things but has some inconsistencies to work on. He plays with a great motor, great contact balance, and has some solid athletic traits. He will need to work on his explosiveness, change of direction, gap discipline, and tackling technique. He offers positive value on special teams due to his long speed and play strength. Because he is so young and most of his issues are coachable, I would be willing to take a shot on this kid.
Projection: Mid-Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 7.6 – 3rd Round (Potential Starter/Good Backup)
Games Watched: at Texas (2024), vs. LSU (2024), vs Ole Miss (2024)
