NFL Draft: Re-grading every first round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft
S. Los Angeles Chargers. Derwin James. 17. player. 13.
NFL Draft: Re-grading every first round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft: Number 17 overall, S Derwin James
Sometimes life makes things a bit easy for some. For others, life can be extremely cruel. For strong safety Derwin James, his experiences on the football field have been filled with ups and downs. When he plays, he’s undoubtedly one of the best at his position but more times than not, James is seen sporting a crutch on the sidelines.
Despite injury issues at Florida State, the Los Angeles Chargers believed that was a thing of the past. Early on, they appeared to be spot on as he made a seamless transition to the pro game without the injury bug. In his first year, James was all over the field. He racked up three interceptions, defended 13 passes, sacked the quarterback 3.5 times, and combined for 105 tackles. Those numbers were so impressive that he was given both a Pro Bowl birth and selected to the First-Team All-Pro. The most important thing for James was that he managed to play in all 16 games.
After suiting up for the first five games of the 2019 season, a foot fracture kept him out for the remainder of the year. Instead of bouncing back with a strong 2020, James was forced to miss the entirety of the season due to a torn meniscus.
It’s unfortunate that he has essentially missed the past two seasons after dominating in year one. If he can bounce back in year four then we’ll reevaluate his grade, but for now, we’re given no choice.
Grade: C