Ja’Wuan James Working As A Leader In Dolphins’ Rookie Camp

When former Tennessee offensive lineman Ja’Wuan James was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, it wasn’t quite a shock, but it slightly unexpected.

The consensus of most draft scouts was that James was a fringe first-round pick. The former Vol ended up being selected with the 19th overall selection by the Miami Dolphins.

Miami’s expectation is that James can some in and compete for the starting right tackle position as a rookie. He’s taking the first step toward doing that in rookie mini-camp, already acting as an on-the-field leader, according to Dolphins.com writer Alain Poupart.

"Ja’Wuan James, the Dolphins’ first-round pick from the University of Tennessee, said he took it upon himself to try to be a leader and help out the tryout players as much as he could."

It’s not surprising that James is already acting like a leader. That’s exactly what he did at Tennessee and it goes hand-in-hand with the observations made by various NFL coaches about former Vol players.

But it’s not just the leadership aspect where James is excelling. He’s also looking like a first-rounder on the field. James Walker, who covers the Dolphins for ESPN.com, had some positive things to write about James during the Dolphins’ rookie mini-camp.

"It was only one practice, but I like the look of Miami first-round pick Ja’Wuan James. He has big, long arms for a right tackle and looks in good shape. James didn’t do much in team drills because the Dolphins wanted an extended look at rookie tryouts. But James has the inside track to become a rookie starter on Miami’s offensive line. “I haven’t played football in a long time,” James said Friday. “We’ve been practicing to be track stars during this whole drafting process. So it was good going out there and competing."

Ja’Wuan James was one of the hardest working, dependable Volunteers in recent memory. He started every game during this career on Rocky Top and was the leader of an offensive line that garnered national attention on a weekly basis.

The Dolphins were not only able to fill a need when they selected James, but they also got a future leader on an offensive line that needs positive direction in the worst way.

James, unlike a lot of his rookie counterparts, should be able to make an impact as a rookie if he keeps up the positive performance that he’s already displaying.