Jamal Adams, Derwin James redefining playing safety in the NFL

Jamal Adams and Derwin James are ready to redefine playing safety in the NFL.

We often hear that the NFL game is changing and has been for some time. Whether it’s the passing boom, the front office side of things or a litany of other aspects, the changes are obvious in many ways. New York Jets safety Jamal Adams and Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James are here to bring along another change.

As the NFL landscape evolves, players at certain positions are asked to different things than they were some time ago. Linebackers used to be tasked mainly with stopping the run and blitzing but now the focus is less on run defense and more on pass coverage. NFL teams used to desire running backs who could be bell cows as rushers; they’re now expected to contribute in the passing game.

In a similar vein, the safety position is progressing as well. There have long been multiple roles for safeties, whether it’s a run-supporter with some work in coverage or a coverage-heavy player, all have been frequently seen over the years. One player in the latter category is Earl Thomas.

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A key member of Seattle’s Legion of Boom, Thomas earned the reputation as a ballhawk in the Cover-3 system. However, he was never overly versatile with the Seahawks. He’s played a slightly different role since joining the Baltimore Ravens but, still, isn’t as versatile as other players.

Vikings safety Harrison Smith, however, is a player who fills a ton of different roles. He matches up in coverage against the slot, comes down into the box to defend the run and does other things as well under Mike Zimmer. That allows his safety counterpart, Anthony Harris, to be a free-roaming player in coverage.

How Jamal Adams and Derwin James are changing the game

Adams and James separate themselves from other NFL safeties by simply being able to do it all. They are the future of the position because they aren’t specialty players but rather guys who will thrive in any role they’re slotted into.

Over his first three seasons, Adams has been in a rough situation with the New York Jets but has still managed to emerge as one of the league’s best safeties. He’s proven to be a talented coverage player, allowing a passer rating of 74.7 in the 2018 season when targeted and just 75.2 in the 2019 season, per PFF (subscription required).

Last season, however, the Jets didn’t have any true pass-rushing threat on the roster, which forced the coaching staff to use Adams in that role. Though he’s smaller than a traditional edge rusher, he performed extremely well. He was second on New York’s roster with 6.5 sacks. Furthermore, he wasn’t doing this blitzing from linebacker or safety spots — he was lining up on the edge and beating offensive tackles.

On the other side of the United States, James has been in the league for one year less than Adams and missed one of his two seasons due to injury. Yet, he’s flashed similarly to the Jets standout.

James is a defensive coordinator’s dream with how he can be moved all over the field. Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, even in James’ first NFL season, was comfortable to change the safety’s role game-by-game based on who the opponent was and where he was needed.

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He was lined up as a box safety, inside and outside cornerback, deep single-high safety, linebacker and anywhere you could imagine. And much like Adams, he wasn’t just a body in these roles but, rather, a standout playmaker in all of them, especially given his youth.

What Derwin James and Jamal Adams are doing on the football field is spearheading the evolution of the safety position. In the NBA, positionless basketball has become prevalent. Adams and James are at the forefront of a similar change in the NFL as we speak.

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