Chargers Roster Spotlights: Derwin James Jr., The Standard of What it Means to be a Charger

Derwin James Jr. was born on Aug. 3, 1996, in Haines City, Florida, where he would play at Auburndale High School before transferring to his local school, Haines City. Once with the program, he earned five-star recruiting status, being the #1-ranked Safety in the entire country and the #2 overall prospect out of Florida for the 2015 recruiting class. Rankings courtesy of 247Sports.

With this prowess, James Jr. stayed local and committed to Florida State University, the same school that had offered him after his freshman year of high school. Once in the program, James instantly started for the Seminoles, recording insane tackling-related stats for a DB, with 91 tackles, 9.5 for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Unfortunately for James Jr., his sophomore season in 2016 was cut short, with him suffering a lateral meniscus tear and cartilage damage, effectively ending his season. James Jr. still recorded an interception in the two games he appeared in.

2017 was James Jr.'s last season with the Seminoles, as he came back from injury showing even more promise than what was seen during his freshman year. He recorded 84 tackles, 5.5 for loss, one sack and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown).

Chargers Derwin James Jr., Safety Florida State

James Jr. was the prototype for what NFL teams should want in a defensive back, a tall, lanky, athletic safety who can hit, tackle, dissect and cover while playing in any defense at any spot. Even with everything besides his 2016 injury being positive in his resume, James Jr. fell to the 17th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, being selected by the Los Angeles Chargers.

Once with the Bolts in 2018, James was an instant phenom, earning a First-Team All-Pro selection, anchoring the team's defense during their 2018 regular and postseason run. Unfortunately, year two (like year two of his college career) was cut short due to injury, as he only played in 5 games.

2020 did not garner a break for James, as he suffered a torn meniscus, missing the entire season. Finally, he returned in 2021, playing under Brandon Staley and his defense. This return saw a statistical decline, but still a Pro Bowl-caliber year for the generational talent.

2022 and 2023, James was still under Staley, playing in a defense that obviously had him in a bind, limiting the type of player everyone knew James Jr. could be. He earned a Pro Bowl in 2022, but was left out of the accolade in 2023.

Finally, winds of change arrived in 2024, with Staley being fired and replaced by Jesse Minter. Minter instantly had a plan for James Jr., giving him a simplified role, a role that fit the 28-year-old safety. James Jr. earned another All-Pro selection, being a part of the second team.

2025 for the Florida native really seemed the final step in getting back to the rookie season he saw from him, with James Jr. once again recording a Pro Bowl and Second Team All-Pro.

2025 Season Stats

16 Games
3 Interceptions
7 Pass Deflections
1 Forced Fumble
2 Sacks
94 Tackles
6 Tackles for Loss

Measurables

Contract Status

"Derwin James signed a 3 year, $75,600,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $12,000,000 signing bonus, $54,500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $25,200,000. In 2026, James will earn a base salary of $11,500,000, a signing bonus of $12,000,000 and a roster bonus of $3,000,000, while carrying a cap hit of $24,606,495 and a dead cap value of $45,106,495." - Spotrac

Derwin James Jr.'s 2026 Season Outlook

Now at age 30, Derwin James Jr. is going into the later stages of his career under a new, large contract extension, doing so under Chris O'Leary and his defense. James Jr. is expected to continue to lead this Chargers defense, setting the tone for what the standard is of being a "Charger".

Sign Up For the Chargers Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Los Angeles Chargers Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google