Robert Mays of The Ringer wrote about how Derwin James is the perfect defender in today’s NFL. He starts out by recapping the draft process and how James fell and the coaching staff couldn’t believe it. Both defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive backs coach Ron Milus were beyond excited as James fell closer and closer to their pick. James, himself, was wondering what went wrong as he fell to pick 12.

In an era when even the best defenders struggle to stay relevant, James has helped propel one of the best units in the NFL, and become the Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite in the process. “In the first round, you hope that you get a player on your team that can come in and be impactful, but it doesn’t always work out that way,” Bradley says. “We all felt like this guy’s got a chance to be that person. … You could just tell his passion for the game. You thought, ‘This guy has a chance to be special.’”

Tthe goal in the first round is exactly that. The Chargers have done a good job of figuring out what type of role they need to target in the first round in recent years. In the case of James, he handles just about every role you can think of: Blitzing, covering, tackling, playing zone. You name it, he’s done it.

“A lot like [Chargers pass rusher] Melvin Ingram, Derwin’s one of those guys [that], for his size, his power index is really high. That’s why he can rush guys that are 60, 70, 80 pounds heavier than he is.” That inventiveness and Lawing’s willingness to let James be more than a safety moonlighting as a pass rusher is what James appreciates most about their time together. “The mind-set that, ‘If you’re gonna rush the quarterback, you’re gonna rush the quarterback,’” James says. “‘You’re not just a DB.’ I feel like that’s what got me better and what got me good at it.”

James does a good job of “dipping” and not letting the lineman or running back get a square shot at him. All while going full speed. He’s an animal.

The article is littered with stories about James and how he got to where he is now. Check it out.