The Chargers defense has a centerpiece, and Jim Harbaugh is not shy about saying it.
When asked about safety Derwin James this fall, Harbaugh didn’t hold back. He called James the best safety he has ever seen in the NFL. Not just on the Chargers, not just right now. Ever. And he backed it up with a laundry list of roles James can play, from nickel to dimebacker to deep middle to blitzing off the edge.
“When he tackles, he gets them down, but he can cover, he can play any position in the secondary,” Harbaugh said in September. “I guess what jumps out the most is he can play nickel, he can play dimebacker, he can play corner, he can play in the deep half, he can play in the deep middle, he can blitz.”
Where the Rankings Have Him
Sports Illustrated released its annual safety rankings and placed James at No. 2, behind Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton. That’s still elite company. But it’s not No. 1. And given Harbaugh’s praise, it’s worth digging into why the gap exists.
SI’s Eva Geitheim pointed to data from Next Gen Stats that showed James was one of only five players to line up on the line of scrimmage, at linebacker, and at safety for at least 100 snaps in 2025. He ranked third among defensive backs in blitz rate and second in pressures. He was also effective as a run defender. Basically, he’s a Swiss Army knife in cleats.
Last season he finished with 94 combined tackles, 50 solo stops, six tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and three interceptions. That’s a full season’s work for most safeties. For James, it felt like business as usual.
The Contract Says It All
In May, James signed a three-year, $75.6 million extension with the Chargers, making him the highest-paid safety in the league for the second time in his career. That kind of money says the franchise agrees with Harbaugh’s assessment, even if the national rankings don’t.
James will operate under new defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, who replaced Jesse Minter. Geitheim expects James to maintain a similar role, which means more of the same versatility that made him a five-time Pro Bowler. The Chargers are betting that James staying healthy and dialed in gives them a defensive trump card nobody else can match.
Harbaugh’s claim might sound like coach-speak. But the numbers, the contract, and the tape all point in the same direction. James might not be the official No. 1 safety on every list. He’s close enough that the debate feels almost academic.
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