James-Newby is a late-blooming speed rusher whose elite bend and relentless motor made him one of the most productive pass rushers in all of college football — regardless of conference — posting a 93.0 PFF Pass Rush Grade with 74 total pressures in 2025. He wins almost exclusively on the edge with a wicked first step and legitimate Gumby-like flexibility that allows him to flatten around the arc and create immediate QB anxiety, even against Power Four tackles at the Shrine Bowl. The problem is everything else: at 6-2, 244, he's undersized for three-down work, his run defense is inconsistent (71.5 PFF Run Defense Grade), he has a concerning 28.8% missed tackle rate, and 19 accepted penalties over three years scream discipline issues. He's a classic Day 3 dart throw with a narrow but real NFL role as a third-down pass-rush specialist — if a coaching staff can clean up the penalties and add a counter move, there's a rotational contributor hiding inside this frame.

• 🐍Elite-level bend and flexibility to flatten around the arc — consistently cited as his standout physical trait by every evaluator who watched him in person at the Shrine Bowl
• 🚀Explosive first-step quickness that creates immediate disruption off the snap, evidenced by a 37.7% true pass-rush win rate (3rd in the EDGE class per PFF)
• 🚀Tireless motor and effort level — plays with the same intensity from first snap to final whistle, consistently chasing from the backside and contributing to collective pressure
• 🏎️Strong hand placement and usage as a pass rusher, allowing him to convert speed to pressure even when the initial rush doesn't produce a clean lane
• 🚀Production translated across three levels of competition — from NAIA (Montana Tech) to FCS (Idaho) to FBS (New Mexico) without production drop-off, including 21 pressures against Big Ten opponents in 2025

• 🪵Undersized at 6-2, 244 with likely short arm length, severely limiting his ability to hold the point of attack against NFL-caliber run blockers — 71.5 PFF Run Defense Grade against Mountain West competition is a red flag
• 💥Alarming 28.8% missed tackle rate in 2025 and 19 accepted penalties across three seasons indicate discipline and finishing issues that could be scheme-killers at the NFL level
• 🏎️Limited pass-rush counter move repertoire — wins primarily with speed and bend, but when the initial rush is stalled, lacks a secondary plan to create pressure
• 🚀Not a three-down player initially; projects as a pass-rush-only specialist who needs significant physical development (bulking up) and technical refinement to stay on the field beyond passing downs