.jpg) James in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 3 –Los Angeles Chargers | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1996-08-03)August 3, 1996 (age 28) Haines City, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Haines City | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Florida State (2015–2017) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2018: 1st round, 17th pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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Derwin Alonzo James Jr. (born August 3, 1996) is an American professionalfootballsafety for theLos Angeles Chargers of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theFlorida State Seminoles. He was selected by the Chargers in the first round of the2018 NFL draft.
James attendedAuburndale High School inAuburndale, Florida before transferring to his hometownHaines City High School inHaines City, Florida.[1][2] He was rated byRivals.com as a five-star recruit and was ranked as the best safety and fifth best player overall in his class.[3] James committed toFlorida State University to playcollege football as a freshman, being offered a scholarship after his freshman year in high school.[4][5][6]
James entered his true freshman season at Florida State in 2015 as a backup, but eventually became a starter.[7][8][9][10] As a freshman in 2015, James played in 12 games with 91 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four passes defended, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.[11]
Before his sophomore season, James was ranked as the third-best second year player, behind onlyJosh Rosen andCalvin Ridley, byLance Zierlein.[12] On September 13, 2016, it was revealed that James would undergo knee surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear and cartilage damage. Recovery time required 5 to 7 weeks.[13] His sophomore year was short-lived, as James only played two games with 11 tackles and an interception.[14] He was granted a redshirt for his following year, and as a redshirted sophomore in 2017, he played in 12 games, finishing with 84 tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes defended, and a sack.[15] On December 7, 2017, James decided to forgo his remaining two years of eligibility and enter the2018 NFL draft.[16]
On December 5, 2017, James released a statement through hisInstagram account that announced his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2018 NFL Draft.[17] As a result of his decision, he also chose to skip the2017 Independence Bowl.[18] James attended theNFL Scouting Combine inIndianapolis and completed the majority of combine drills, but opted to skip the short shuttle and three-cone drill. His combine performance impressed scouts and draft experts as he finished third among all defensive backs in the bench press and ninth among all safeties in the 40-yard dash. He also finished fifth among all defensive backs in the broad jump and sixth in the vertical.[19]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Derwin James' NFL Combine Workout | |
| Derwin James runs a 4.47 40-yard dash | |
| Derwin James hits 40" on his vertical | |
| NFL Draft Profile: Derwin James |
On March 20, 2018, James participated at Florida State'spro day, but opted to stand on his combine numbers and only ran the short shuttle, three-cone drill, and positional drills. James also attended pre-draft visits with theGreen Bay Packers andTampa Bay Buccaneers, but reportedly declined to attend a private workout with the Buccaneers who held the 12th overall pick.[20][21] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, James was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was expected to be one of the first 15 players drafted.[22] He was ranked the top free safety prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and was ranked the second best safety by NFL analystMike Mayock andSports Illustrated.[23][24] NFL analystMel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the top safety in the draft and fourth overall prospect in his big board.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+3⁄4 in (1.87 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.47 s | 1.50 s | 2.59 s | 4.34 s | 7.34 s | 40 in (1.02 m) | 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) | 21 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine/Florida State's Pro Day[25][26] | ||||||||||||
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Chargers draft Derwin James 17th overall | |
| Derwin James' draft reaction | |
| James "I've got something to prove!" |
"James has great range versus the run, closes in a flash and explodes through ball carriers. He misses the occasional tackle but has the athletic ability and length to make one-on-one plays in space. James is an elite talent who is highly likely to have a better pro career than a college one."[27]
TheLos Angeles Chargers selected James in the first round (17th overall) of the2018 NFL draft.[28] James was the second safety drafted in 2018, behindAlabama safetyMinkah Fitzpatrick (11th overall,Miami Dolphins).[29]
On June 1, 2018, the Chargers signed James to a fully guaranteed four–year, $12.38 million contract that includes an initialsigning bonus of $7.09 million.[30][31]
James entered training camp slated as the starting strong safety, but suffered a hamstring injury that limited his progress.[32] He also saw competition for the role from veteransAdrian Phillips andRayshawn Jenkins.[33] Head coachAnthony Lynn named James the starting strong safety to begin the regular season, alongside free safetyJahleel Addae.[34]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Derwin James picks off Jared Goff |
On September 9, 2018, James made his professional regular season debut and first career start in the Los Angeles Chargers' home-opener against theKansas City Chiefs and recorded three combined tackles (two solo), broke up two passes, and made his first career sack on quarterbackPatrick Mahomes during a 38–28 loss.[35] On September 23, 2018, James recorded nine combined tackles (seven solo), deflected a pass, and had his first career interception on a pass thrown byJared Goff to tight endGerald Everett in the end zone during the second quarter of a 35–23 loss at theLos Angeles Rams in Week 3.[36][37] In Week 9, James collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (nine solo) during a 25–17 victory at theSeattle Seahawks. On December 2, 2018, James had three combined tackles (two solo), a season-high three pass deflections, and intercepted a pass thrown byBen Roethlisberger to tight endVance McDonald during a 33–30 victory at thePittsburgh Steelers. On December 18, 2018, it was announced James was named to the2019 Pro Bowl, marking his firstPro Bowl of his career.[38] He earned first team All-Pro honors.[39] He started all 16 games as a rookie in 2018 and produced a total of 105 combined tackles (75 solo), 3.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections, and three interceptions.[40] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[41] James was ranked 31st by his peers on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[42]Pro Football Focus gave James an overall grade of 87.8 in 2018.[43]
Throughout training camp, defensive coordinatorGus Bradley held an open competition between James,Rayshawn Jenkins, and rookieNasir Adderley to name the starting free safety after Jahleel Addae was released during the off-season.[44] On August 15, 2019, it was revealed that James had been dealing with a stress fracture in his right foot that would require surgery and would take up to three months to recover.[45] On September 1, 2019, the Los Angeles Chargers placed James oninjured reserve to begin the season.[46] On November 25, 2019, he was officially designated for return and began participating in team practices.[47] On November 30, 2019, the Los Angeles Chargers placed James on their active roster.[48] Just prior to Week 13, head coach Anthony Lynn named Jenkins the starting free safety, alongside starting strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins. On December 1, 2019, James made his regular season debut and had four combined tackles (two solo) during a 23–20 loss at theDenver Broncos. In Week 15, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles (six solo) as the Chargers lost 10–39 to theMinnesota Vikings. He finished his sophomore season with 34 combined tackles (23 solo) and one pass deflection in five games and five starts.[49] Although he was limited to five games due to injury, he was able to earn an overall grade of 82.5 from Pro Football Focus in 2019.[50]
On September 5, 2020, the Los Angeles Chargers officially placed James on season-endinginjured reserve after he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus.[51][52] On December 15, 2020, the Los Angeles Chargers placed him on the reserve/COVID-19 list.[53] On January 7, 2021, he was placed back on to injured reserve.[54]
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On January 4, 2021, the Los Angeles Chargers officiallyfired head coach Anthony Lynn after they finished the2020 NFL season with a 7–9 record.[55] On January 17, 2021, theLos Angeles Chargers announced the hiringLos Angeles Rams' defensive coordinatorBrandon Staley as their new head coach.[56]On April 30, 2021, the Los Angeles Chargers exercised the fifth-year option on James' rookie contract which guarantees a salary of $9.05 million for the2022 NFL season.[57][58] Defensive coordinatorRenaldo Hill named James the starting strong safety to begin the season, alongside starting free safetyNasir Adderley.[59]
In Week 4, James made six combined tackles (three solo), broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass byDerek Carr as the Chargers defeated theLas Vegas Raiders 28–14. The following week, he collected a season-high 16 combined tackles (nine solo) and had one sack during a 47–42 victory against theCleveland Browns. He was inactive for the Chargers' Week 14 victory against theNew York Giants after injuring his hamstring. James was sidelined for a Week 16 loss at theHouston Texans due to his hamstring injury.On December 22, 2021, James was named to his second Pro Bowl.[60] He finished the season with a total of 118 combined tackles (75 solo), five pass deflections, three forced fumbles, two sacks, and two interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.[61] He was ranked 43rd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2022.[62] Pro Football Focus had him receive an overall grade of 78.1 in the 2021 NFL season.[63] In his first four seasons, James earned an overall grade average of 90.1 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked fifth in that time span. He earned a coverage grade of 91.5 from PFF, which ranked ninth amongst all safeties in that four-year span.[64]
On August 17, 2022, the Los Angeles Chargers signed James to a four–year, $76.53 million contract that includes $42.00 million guaranteed, $38.58 million guaranteed upon signing, and an initialsigning bonus of $20.53 million.[65][66] The deal made James the highest–paid safety in NFL history.[67]
Head coach Brandon Staley retained James and Nasir Adderley as the starting safeties to begin the season.[68] In Week 4, James had seven combined tackles (three solo) and a season-high two pass deflections during a 34–24 victory at theHouston Texans. The following week, James racked up a season-high 14 combined tackles (nine solo) as the Chargers won 30–28 at theCleveland Browns. On November 27, 2022, he recorded eight combined tackles (five solo), forced a fumble, broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass thrown byKyler Murray to wide receiverDeAndre Hopkins during a 25–24 victory at theArizona Cardinals. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.[69] On December 21, 2022, James was named to his third Pro Bowl.[70] On December 26, 2022, James had three combined tackles (one solo) and intercepted a pass byNick Foles before being ejected in the fourth quarter of a 20–3 win at theIndianapolis Colts after delivering an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit on wide receiverAshton Dulin.[71] He finished the2022 NFL season with a total of 115 combined tackles (64 solo),four sacks, two interceptions, six passes defended, and two forced fumbles in 14 games and 14 starts.[72] He was ranked 30th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2023.[73] He received an overall grade of 77.6 fromPro Football Focus which ranked 13th best amongst all qualified safeties in 2022. He earned a coverage grade of 74.5 from PFF[43]
He returned as thede facto starting strong safety in 2023, but was paired withAlohi Gilman following the retirement ofNasir Adderley.[74]Pro Football Focus ranked him as their top safety in the NFL heading into the 2023 NFL season. He was sidelined for the Chargers' Week 4 loss against theLas Vegas Raiders after injuring his hamstring. On October 29, 2023, James recorded five combined tackles (four solo), one pass deflection, and had his lone interception of the season on a pass thrown byTyson Bagent to wide receiverDarnell Mooney during a 30–13 victory against theChicago Bears. In Week 10, he collected a season-high 13 combined tackles (eight solo) during a 38–41 loss to theDetroit Lions. On December 15, 2023, the Los Angeles Chargers announced their decision to fire head coach Brandon Staley after falling to 5–9 and subsequently named outside linebackers coachGiff Smith the interim head coach for the last three games of the season.[75] In Week 17, James recorded 12 combined tackles (seven solo), tied his season-high of two pass break ups, and had one sack as the Chargers lost 9–16 at theDenver Broncos. He finished the2023 NFL season with a total of 125 combined tackles (86 solo), seven passes defended, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[76] He was ranked 83rd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2024.[77]Pro Football Focus had him receive an overall grade of 60.1 in 2023, which ranked 71st amongst all safeties.[78]
On January 24, 2024, theLos Angeles Chargers announced their decision to hireMichigan head coachJim Harbaugh as their new head coach.[79] Defensive coordinatorJesse Minter retained James and Alohi Gilman as the starting safeties to begin the season.[80] In Week 11, James produced a season-high ten combined tackles and was credited with half a sack during a 34–27 win against theCincinnati Bengals. On December 1, 2024, James tied his season-high of ten combined tackles (five solo), had one pass deflection, and made his only interception of the season off a pass thrown byKirk Cousins to wide receiverDrake London at the end of a 17–13 win at theAtlanta Falcons to seal the Chargers' victory.[81] He finished the season with 93 combined tackles (60 solo), seven pass deflections, 5.5 sacks, and one interception in 16 games and 16 starts.[82]Pro Football Focus had him receive an overall grade of 80.5 in 2024, which ranked 10th out of 170 qualified safeties that season.[83]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TfL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | |||
| 2018 | LAC | 16 | 16 | 105 | 75 | 30 | 3.5 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 30 | 10.0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | LAC | 5 | 5 | 34 | 23 | 11 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | LAC | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | LAC | 15 | 15 | 118 | 75 | 43 | 2.0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | LAC | 14 | 14 | 115 | 64 | 51 | 4.0 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | LAC | 16 | 16 | 125 | 86 | 39 | 2.0 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2024 | LAC | 16 | 16 | 93 | 60 | 33 | 5.5 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career | 82 | 82 | 590 | 383 | 207 | 17.0 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 58 | 6.4 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 3 | ||
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TfL | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2018 | LAC | 2 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | LAC | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | LAC | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 4 | 4 | 30 | 21 | 9 | 0.0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
James is a cousin ofVince Williams andKarlos Williams, both former Florida State Seminoles players, as well asMike James, formerMiami Hurricanes running back.[4] He is also the second cousin of former Miami Hurricanes and NFL star running backEdgerrin James.[84] He is a member ofPhi Beta Sigma fraternity.[85]
