Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James the consensus top NFL rookie

The 2018 draft class as a whole has not disappointed. Few teams know this better than the Los Angeles Chargers who continue to reap rewards.

Most of their class hasn’t done much, but that’s okay because 1st round pick Derwin James has done enough to compensate for everybody else. It’s harder and harder to fathom each week how the Florida State safety fell to the 17th pick. It was obvious he had size, he had range, and he had a nose for the football. Never mind his obvious versatility. It’s difficult to figure out what those 16 other teams convinced themselves was wrong with him.

Not that the Chargers are losing sleep over it. James has been a bonafide star for their secondary from the moment he stepped on the field. In 12 games he’s delivered three interceptions, 3.5 sacks, 81 tackles, and 12 passes defended. That stat line explains just how good he is. Whether in coverage or blitzing, he’s a problem. So much that ESPN saw fit to rank him the best overall rookie of this season.

"“He had moments against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night when he put on a clinic in coverage, had impact rushing the passer and continued to show himself to be a quality finisher as a tackler. He is the leading tackler on a defense in the league’s top 10 in both scoring and total defense as well as tied for the team lead in interceptions and third in sacks.”"

Derwin James finally puts Eric Weddle hangover to bed

It wasn’t just ESPN though. NFL.com had him rated as their #2 rookie, barely edge out by Saquon Barkley. However, between the two top sites, he averaged out to be the highest ranked overall. The numbers and the tape don’t lie. The Chargers are 9-3 and their defense is ranked 8th in the league. This despite not having star pass rusher Joey Bosa for the majority of the season. That should reveal how good James has been.

The biggest difference he’s made is in the running game. Los Angeles had the worst run defense in football last season. This year they’re 11th. Having James protecting the back end is a huge part of that turnaround, again proving how vital it is to have a great safety. Something the team apparently forgot when they let Eric Weddle go a couple years ago. Seems they may have learned their lesson and made sure to get that position fixed.