Los Angeles Chargers: Three prospects to stay away from in the NFL Draft

4 of 4

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Derwin James, Safety, Florida State

By the time the 2018 NFL Draft is upon us, safety may or may not be an issue for the Los Angeles Chargers. The big question at hand here is surrounding Tre Boston; who excelled at free safety for the Chargers after signing a one-year deal prior to the 2017-18 season.

More from LA Sports Hub

Boston not yet re-signing may be a sign that a deal may never come to fruition. While that is still unclear, the Chargers may already be looking for Boston’s replacement. Earl Thomas has become our fantasy option, however, the 2018 NFL Draft is also an interesting avenue to consider.

ESPN’s Eric D. Williams thinks so, declaring that Florida State safety Derwin James makes sense for the Chargers. Williams states that James is a fit due to his ability to play near the line of scrimmage as well as dropping back in coverage; something that Boston excelled at.

However, in a similar fashion as Rashaan Evans, it is just hard to justify the Chargers using a first-round pick on James. Walter Football has James going in the top-20 in the draft, putting the Chargers right in line to select him with the 17th overall pick.

However, like with linebacker, the Chargers can pick up a solid free safety in the second, third or even fourth-round. Plus, the options of re-signing Boston or even trading for Earl Thomas are still on the table. While James may be the cheaper route, Boston already knows the defensive schemes and has proven he can excel in them.

Next: Is Earl Thomas worth pursuing?

Derwin James is very talented and if he is on the board when the Chargers are on the clock I am sure that plenty of fans are going to be circling his name. For me, though, I am going to take a hard pass.

Home/Los Angeles Chargers