Derwin James

Derwin James

27-Year-Old SafetyS
Los Angeles Chargers
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Injuries continue to be an issue for James, who played only 14 games and 799 defensive snaps in 2022, but when he's on the field there are few safeties who can match the production of the 17th overall pick in 2018. The four-year contract extension he signed last August won't kick in until 2024, so it's possible the Chargers move on if he continues to have trouble staying healthy, but the team has no clear successor in place yet. The front office continues to add veteran pieces around him, signing Eric Kendricks in March, but only Joey Bosa is as important to the defense's success. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#Subscriber-Only
IDP
$Signed a four-year, $76.53 million contract with the Chargers in August of 2022.
Plethora of tackles in sixth season
SLos Angeles Chargers
February 14, 2024
James finished the 2023 campaign with 125 tackles (86 solo), seven passes defensed, 2.0 sacks and one interception across 16 games for the Chargers.
ANALYSIS
James compiled the third-most total tackles among all NFL safeties and made his most appearances since his 2018 rookie campaign, but the veteran defender wasn't quite the same playmaker as he had been in past seasons. The 27-year-old offers a level of versatility that's unmatched by most defensive backs in the league, but the Chargers could need even more production from him in 2024 with the team expected to lose a few key veterans due to cap constraints this offseason.
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NFL Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2023 NFL Game Log
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2022 NFL Game Log
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2021 NFL Game Log
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2020 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Los Angeles ChargersChargers 2023 S Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

97187%
90080%
28125%
1019%
726%
575%
252%
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2023 Derwin James Split Stats
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Measurables Review
How do Derwin James' measurables compare to other safeties?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 2"
 
Weight
215 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.47 sec
 
Vertical Jump
40.0 in
 
Broad Jump
132 in
 
Bench Press
21 reps
 
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
James is the best player in a tough Chargers pass defense, and his elite real-life play translates well for IDP purposes. There’s also reason to think he can intercept more passes with Justin Herbert regularly forcing opponents to throw. With the ability to post 120-plus tackles with noteworthy contributions in the sack and INT columns, James is among the top candidates to finish 2022 as the DB1 for IDP purposes.
James basically hasn't played since his 2018 rookie season, as a foot injury limited him to five games in 2019 and a meniscus tear ended his 2020 season before it started. It's tempting to knock a player in the rankings after so much missed time, but James simply seems a victim of bad luck, and if his luck turns merely to average he should re-establish himself as an All-Pro defender. If his luck turns good, he could be the best safety in the NFL, with distance. He was on the verge of that his rookie year, when he produced 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions.
There were few players more anticipated than James leading up to the 2019 season after earning All-Pro honors as a rookie, but a preseason stress fracture in his foot held him out until the final five games. Through 21 career contests, James' per-snap tackle rate puts his 1,000-snap projection to 105 stops, which incidentally was the tackle total he posted from his rookie year on 1,026 snaps. That's enough to make him a likely top-12 defensive back IDP, but the hope is that he'll provide sack and interception production like he did in his rookie year, when he made 3.5 sacks and intercepted three passes. Basically, it's reasonable to expect James to return to the production from 2018, when he was one of the top IDPs among defensive backs.
Everyone knew it made no sense when James fell to the 17th pick of last year's draft, and it looks like the Chargers lucked into a generational talent. James' rookie season couldn't have been any better, as he piled up his triple-digit tackles and noteworthy playmaking stats (3.5 sacks and three picks) while providing strong work in coverage. A foot fracture suffered in August will cost him the early part of the 2019 campaign, but the Chargers hope to get James back at some point during the regular season.
James fell to the No. 17 pick in the most recent draft, but he's one of the best safety prospects in years and will almost certainly make teams regret passing on him. At 6-2, 215, James is a high-motor defender with 4.47 speed and a 40-inch vertical. There's a three-down role up for grabs with the Chargers now that Tre Boston is gone, and it would be shocking if James didn't claim it immediately. James posted 84 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games last year for Florida State.
More Fantasy News
Gets second sack of 2023 in loss
SLos Angeles Chargers
January 1, 2024
James finished Sunday's 16-9 loss to the Broncos with 12 tackles (seven solo), including one sack.
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Productive in defeat
SLos Angeles Chargers
December 25, 2023
James recorded eight tackles (four solo) in the Chargers' 24-22 loss to the Bills on Saturday.
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Double-digit tackles in loss
SLos Angeles Chargers
December 11, 2023
James had 11 tackles (eight solo) in Sunday's 24-7 loss to the Broncos.
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Gets first sack of 2023
SLos Angeles Chargers
December 4, 2023
James recorded nine tackles (seven solo), including a sack, in Sunday's 6-0 win at New England.
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Tallies 13 tackles
SLos Angeles Chargers
November 14, 2023
James accumulated 13 tackles (eight solo) in the Chargers' Week 10 loss to the Lions.
ANALYSIS
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