Derwin James Draft Slide May End Up Being a Blessing in Disguise

“I feel I was tried 16 times”

Derwin James finally heard the noise that he had been wanting to hear his whole football life when Roger Goodall announced, “that with the 17th pick, the Los Angelos Chargers select Derwin James!”

You can tell he was happy, but he definitely let it be known to former FSU/DBU alum Deion Sanders his disappointment in falling into the middle of the first round. By many projections, he was a lock for the top 10.

The truth is, he probably fell right into the situation in which he needed to be in. Let’s look at what happened on the first night of the NFL Draft.

Falling out of the top 10 wasn’t much of a stretch as only 2-3 teams had a need at safety with one of those teams trading back out of their position. Once out of the top 10, it was strictly needs from there until finding a team that could draft best available.

You could scratch your head about the Bucs pick and, for the Dolphins, Minkah Fitzpatrick provides more versatility. Still more teams need quarterbacks and linemen then safeties.

Now, the big elephant in the room is Derwin’s decision to stand on his film and combine numbers and not go through more private workouts.

I still think the gamble paid off as the teams that chose other players probably already had their minds made up and would’ve made similar moves no matter what.

I know some in the Giants and Bucs organizations were miffed about his decision to only do a few agility drills at FSU’s Pro Day, but with the Giants drafting at No. 2, they weren’t picking a safety anyhow.

I understand his thought process. Injuries occur during all of these pre-draft workouts and the whole process is a freaking grind. It’s something the NFL needs to reevaluate to make more prospect-friendly. I think if you’re a first round grade, you should stand on your work, combine and pro day. Go to the meetings, meet with teams, but they aren’t going to see anything new in shorts.

RELATED: Answering Florida State’s biggest off-season questions.

Plus, in my opinion it worked out.

He still was drafted relatively high and into a great situation. The Chargers defensive coordinator is Gus Bradley. Many believe that Derwin is a Cam Chancellor-type safety. Who was the architect of that Seahawks defense? That’s right, Bradley.

Being in the NFL is just as much about being in the right place as it is about where you’re drafted. The second contract is where you break the bank.

If you aren’t put in a position to play well, you cannot break the bank.

Truthfully, I don’t think it could have worked out better for James. His bank account is about to have a ton of zeros behind it, he’s playing in a big market in which you can make tons of money through sponsorships, warm weather, a coach who has an understanding of how to best utilize your talents, and most importantly, you’re getting a chance to continue playing football.

It’s a win/win.

Derwin gets to live his dream, the Chargers get a top ten talent at No. 17 and FSU gets another DBU drafted to add to its streak of putting guys in the league for three decades.
Get paid young hitter, get paid.

RELATED: Can Hamsah Nasirildeen become FSU’s next great defensive back?

Article Originally Appeared on Gridiron Now: http://gridironnow.com/derwin-james-draft-slide-may-end-up-being-a-blessing-in-disguise