Las Vegas Raiders: Stealing one player from each AFC West rival
Stealing from the Los Angeles Chargers: Derwin James, S
Yes, the Raiders drafted Johnathan Abram in the first round in 2019 and he’s slated to make his regular-season debut in the 2020 season. But is that enough reason to not steal a player of Derwin James‘ caliber?
Absolutely not. James was the No. 17 selection by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2018 NFL Draft and has been a revelation when on the field. As a rookie, he graded out as the fifth-best safety in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Though he dealt with injuries and did not qualify in his second season, though, James would’ve been a top-10 safety in that regard by the grades for the time he was on the field.
James is a new breed of NFL safety in his ability to fill multiple roles. He’s as effective in deep coverage as he is dropping into the nickel to cover and is also just as effective as a blitzer or defending the run. You put this guy on the field and let him play.
Though Abram is a powerful tone-setter on the Raiders defense — or so they hope — he lacks that same level of versatility. Therefore, pairing him with James could be a coup for the Las Vegas defense.
Next. One NFL player you forgot played for your favorite team. dark
As of right now, the Raiders secondary might be somewhat of a problem. The cornerback situation is less than stellar, even after drafting Damon Arnette this year. Putting James in the mix would help alleviate that given his ability to fill so many roles and get the silver and black one step closer in their rebuild.