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Derwin James Ranked No. 50 as Safety Makes NFL's Top 100 List For 5th Straight Year

The All-Pro safety is the second member of the Chargers to appear on the NFL's Top 100 list

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Derwin James continues to stake his claim as one of the biggest gamechangers in the league.

The All-Pro safety is the most recent member of the Bolts to appear on the NFL's Top 100 list after fellow defensive teammate Tuli Tuipulotu checked in at No. 86.

James was ranked No. 50 overall on Monday which marked his fifth straight appearance (and sixth overall) on the annual list.

And it's coming on the heels of another All-Pro season.

James has earned back-to-back Second-Team All-Pro honors at slot cornerback. That brought his tally to five overall All-Pro nods: First and Second-Team selections in 2018 at two different positions before earning Second-Team nods in 2022, 2024 and 2025.

The safety finished the 2025 regular season second on the team with 94 total tackles to go along with seven passes defensed, 2.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss.

He does it all while serving as one of the heartbeats and unquestioned leaders of the entire team.

"When he breaks down the team, three words, 'Be the best.' That's the standard," Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said about James during the 2025 season. "He is the one that is constantly holding himself and everybody to that standard.

"He's pretty cool because I want to do it because that's the standard he set," Harbaugh added. "We're all striving for that."

James also had three interceptions, which tied a career-high and were the most he's had since his rookie season in 2018.

He has elevated himself yearly, as he finished third among all safeties with 13 total pressures in 2025 and allowed a 68.4 passer rating when targeted during the regular season, second-best of his career and best since 2022.

The impact of James — who recently signed a multi-year contract extension — continues to be felt around the league as one of the best.

"It's a dope thing to see a guy, not just a football player, but the guy that he is off the field," Mack said about James earlier this offseason. "One of the greatest teammates I've ever played with from a standpoint of the man, how he treats people how he wants to be treated and how he carries himself.

"He carries himself like that every day, the energy is positive, it's infectious throughout the building," Mack added. "You want to keep a guy like Derwin in every building, I'm sure any team in the NFL will want to keep him for a lifetime."

Take a look back at the best photos of Derwin James, Jr.'s 2025 campaign. James recorded 94 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions and 8 quarterback hits in the 2025-2026 NFL season.

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