3 Observations: How Derwin James Stole the Show on Day 1 of Minicamp

Jun 10, 2025 at 04:21 PM

Eric Smith

Editorial Director

Welcome to 2025 Chargers minicamp.

The Bolts opened a three-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday by holding a 90-minute practice without pads at The Bolt.

The Chargers will also have minicamp on Wednesday and Thursday before they are slated to hold three more voluntary Organized Team Activity practices next week.

Here are three observations from Tuesday's minicamp practice:

1. James in midseason form

Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday that the Chargers have nine players on their roster that fall into an elite class in terms of their offseason training.

The usual suspects are there as the group includes Justin Herbert, Derwin James, Jr., Khalil Mack and Rashawn Slater. Others in the bunch are Daiyan Henley, Tuli Tuipulotu, Ladd McConkey, Joe Alt and Zion Johnson.

"Coach Harbaugh is not a guy that just tells you something because it sounds good. If he tells you something, he genuinely means that," James said. "He says the same thing to us. He's not sugarcoating it."

"To be one of those nine players, I don't take that for granted," James later added. "I just try to to show up every day ... set the example and set the standard for the younger guys."

James, who delivered an All-Pro season in 2024, showed Tuesday why he's among the league's best defensive players.

The Bolts do-it-all safety was everywhere on the first day of minicamp as he made one highlight reel play after another.

It started on the first play after position drills, which was a skeleton-type session with five defenders covering a handful of receivers and tight ends.

James broke on a pass over the middle and deflected the ball into the air before it was corralled by linebacker Denzel Perryman, who raced the other way for a takeaway.

Later in practice, James was on high alert as a backwards pass behind the line of scrimmage fluttered to the grass. James pounced, picking up the fumble and racing down the field for a score.

James later had a pass breakup at the end of practice to highlight his stellar day. A year after he was a Swiss Army knife on defense, he appears poised for another big season in Jesse Minter's scheme.

"Just continuing to stack the days with consistency," James said.

Other defensive backs who made plays Tuesday included rookie safety Jaylen Jones and cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor, both of whom had interceptions.

"Get the ball," James said of the mindset of the Bolts secondary.

2. Where the O-line stands

The most watched position group on the Chargers roster has been the offensive line, and that was no different Tuesday afternoon.

The Bolts have three positions that are set with Slater (left tackle), right guard Mekhi Becton and Alt (right tackle), all of whom were in attendance and manning their usual spots.

The noteworthy competition is at left guard and center, where Zion Johnson and Bradley Bozeman continue to take the majority of the reps. Johnson, who played guard the past three seasons, is mostly working at center while Bozeman, the team's 2024 starting center, has been getting reps at left guard.

Harbaugh gave an update earlier Tuesday on where that position group stands.

"Really good. The guys I said that were starting a few, maybe a month or two ago, are in some combination," Harbaugh said. "Zion and Boze have been doing what we had foreseen. That's working out really well."

Harbaugh said he wants to get about a week or so into training camp before trying to nail down a starting five combination.

"If I had to think of a timeline, probably about eight to 10 days into camp historically is when I typically like to start setting the starting lineups," Harbaugh said. "From now until then, the competition will continue.

"It's been a vast improvement. I know some of the coaches have talked about it already, but the offensive lineman that we have in camp, from our best guy to the 15th, 14th-ranked guy, it's just a really good group, it's an improved group," Harbaugh added. "It's a bigger group, it's a better group. We're excited to work with them."

The Chargers opened position drills with the lineup, from left to right, of Slater, Bozeman, Johnson, Becton and Alt. The next group featured, from left to right, Trey Pipkins III, Jamaree Salyer, Andre James, Josh Kaltenberger and Tyler McLellan.

And while the main group stayed the same for the majority of practice, there was some shuffling along the interior.

At one point, Bozeman had moved inside to center while rookie Branson Taylor manned the left guard spot and Karsen Barnhart was at right guard.

With training camp just over five weeks away, expect this position group to continue to be sorted out.

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Los Angeles Chargers players pose for photos at the team's annual Media Day on Monday, June 9, 2025 at The Bolt in El Segundo, CA.