Chargers' Derwin James catches some weird shade from anonymous NFL personnel

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James is one of the best in the NFL at what he does. 

That factoid has never really been up for debate. James pushed that narrative further a season ago, being a versatile standout in first-time coordinator Jesse Minter’s defense, too, helping the supposedly rebuilding Chargers roster a top-five defense. 

Yet in an annual poll of NFL personnel from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, James ranks as the sixth-best safety in the league, yet catches some shade in the form of an anonymous quote. 

"People talked about him like he was Ed Reed early in his career, and I'd say while he's always been a good player, I've never really seen him as an elite guy year to year," a veteran AFC personnel staffer told Fowler. "Average athletic tools, choosy tackler."

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Calling James “average” when referring to athletics is just a little strange. An average safety probably couldn’t land a top-10 spot on any list in modern times. And the fact he can play deep and also thrives at the line of scrimmage as a box safety or cornerback sort of diminishes the take.

James is also widely regarded as one of the biggest hitters in the NFL and has thrown out 93-plus combined tackles and 60-plus solo tackles in each of his last four seasons. He’s done that in every season he’s appeared in more than five games. 

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This is a little bit nitpicky, sure. But it’s strange to see people within the NFL itself diminish a guy who is obviously one of the very best, a point agreed upon by even his fiercest rivals. 

On this specific list, James has never ranked worse than ninth and peaked at third overall, so he must be doing something right.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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