Safety Derwin James lasted a bit longer than many people predicted, but his wait to learn his NFL destination has come to an end.
The Chargers selected James with the 17th overall pick of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. James was often pegged as a Top 10 pick in the many mock drafts being ripped up and thrown in the trash around the country on Thursday night.
James hit the ground running at Florida State, making plays against the run and pass as a freshman in 2015. He injured his knee in 2016 and returned healthy for a strong season in 2017, which should make defensive coordinator Gus Bradley happy to have him even if James wound up dropping further than expected.
With James in the fold, the chances that Tre Boston will be returning to the Chargers would seem to shrink considerably. If James proves to be as good as his many pre-draft promotors thought, there probably won’t be anyone missing him too much.