Chargers James, King earn multiple All-Pro honors; Phillips named to first-team
In April, NFL teams decided there were 16 players in this year's draft class that deserved to be taken before Derwin James. Nine months and 16 games later, he is making them think twice about their decisions.
The Los Angeles Chargers rookie safety was named to not just an All-Pro, but was given the distinction of both first AND second team honors.
James, the Bolts do-it-all defensive back, was all over the box score for the Chargers this season as he rotated between a safety who could drop into coverage or press in to crowd the box. James finished the year with 105 tackles, including 3.5 sacks while also nabbing three interceptions.
According to Pro Football Focus, James played at least 47 snaps in all 16 games this year and only finished three contests with game grades lower than 65.7 while he manufactured eight game grades above 70.0. All of this led to an 88.3 overall grade that saw him finish first among all defensive rookies and fifth among qualified safeties this season who logged at least 300 defensive snaps. For this, James was named the first-team safety as well as the second-team defensive back, which encompasses both safeties and corners.
James wasn't the only Charger to pull off this impressive feat of earning multiple spots on the All-Pro list.
Fellow DB Desmond King also found his way onto both teams.
King, who earned his first-career All-Pro honors, was the Chargers most formidable lockdown corner in just his second season. The first-team defensive back tallied 10 passes defensed to go along with his three interceptions, one of which he took back for a touchdown.
https://twitter.com/blaqbadger14/status/1081287442898944000
King was also named the second-team punt returner for his efforts on special teams. As the deep man, King averaged the third most yards per return in the league (13.8), returning one 73-yards that helped spur the Chargers win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The other Charger who was named a first-time All-Pro was Adrian Phillips, who earned the first-team honor as a special teamer.
https://twitter.com/Phillips_17/status/1081284083483697154
Phillips, who also plays DB, finished the year with 94 total tackles.
The Chargers will be heading to Baltimore to take on the Ravens Sunday in the Wild Card Round, a rematch of a Week 16 game the Bolts lost 22-10.
