'He can do everything': Jaguars will be challenged Sunday against Chargers' Derwin James

It would almost be insulting to someone who watches football to call Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) defender Derwin James by his position — safety.

For the Jaguars (1-1), they'll need to prepare in an unconventional fashion for their Week 3 contest against L.A. this Sunday, and act as though James plays all of the positions on the field because, frankly, he pretty much does.

"He could line up as an edge player, he could be a linebacker, a safety, a nickel, a corner. He can do everything," Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said during his press conference Thursday, referring to James as a "chess piece" for the Chargers defense.

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It's not hyperbole, either. In Week 2, when the Chargers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs, James lined up in several different positions on defense and special teams, including outside linebacker or EDGE (4 out of 60 snaps), box safety or inside linebacker (19), slot corner (11), boundary (2), free safety (21) and on punt return (3), according to Pro Football Focus.

When Taylor was asked what position James plays, he responded with one word: defense.

To put it in perspective, Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins spent 34 snaps at free safety, according to PFF. He spent eight snaps at slot corner and eight snaps in the box. The versatility is there, but not in the same way as James' utilization.

Derwin James' on-field ability might trump great versatility

It isn't just James' versatility that makes him such a valuable player for Los Angeles. At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, James has proven through his collegiate years with the Florida State Seminoles and since being selected by the Chargers with the 17th-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

James has been named a First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler twice (2018, 2021) and made the PFW All-Rookie Team. He's played and started 38 games in his career, accounting for 272 tackles, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, five interceptions and 19 pass breakups.

"The same things you see him do now are what he did at Florida State. He's always been pro-ready," former Seminole defensive lineman Mario Edwards told the Florida Times-Union on Wednesday.

Edwards is currently on the Jaguars' practice squad. Though he missed playing with James in college by one year (Edwards was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders), he watched him closely as an Alumni.

"He can play whatever you put him in. He's always been a great all-around athlete. To me, he's more of a bigger, physical Jalen Ramsey," Edwards added. "He was strong in college and he's even stronger now."

Ramsey, originally drafted by the Jaguars with the fifth-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, currently plays in L.A., too, but with the Rams. He has quickly blossomed into one of the best defensive backs in the league. James certainly fits that bill, too.

"Derwin's one of the rare players in the NFL, truly one of one," Chargers head coach Brandon Staley told media covering the Jaguars via conference call Thursday.

"To be able to have a defensive back that can do everything at a high level; play man to man, play the ball in the deep part of the field, outstanding cover guy, great in the box, great deep-zone instincts, blitzer, a true matchup guy and a guy that's the heartbeat of our defense.

"He's our signal caller. He sets the example for our team every single day too. So, [he has a] rare skill set, and then rare intangibles. We're very fortunate to have him, and as you guys are seeing, [he's] one of the best players in the league."

Trevor Lawrence will be tested against Chargers defense, James

Sunday will be another opportunity for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to improve his play in the league. Though he's been battle-tested before, facing off against a versatile defender like James will be another tall task for the second-year QB.

Through two games, Lawrence has thrown for 510 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He has a completion percentage of 68.1 percent. Last week was perhaps Lawrence's best game as a Jaguar. He completed 25 out of 30 (83%) of his passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns to receiver Christian Kirk.

Lawrence knows, though, Sunday will be another tall task, especially with a player of James' caliber roaming the secondary — and everything in between.

“First of all, he’s just a great player, the way he flies around, how many different things he does for their team. He’s a great pass rusher. You look at that, a safety doing all that, then his cover skills, his football IQ, he just sees the play before it happens," Lawrence said on Thursday.

"I think he does a great job. Having a guy like that, and they run so many different personnels, and they move him all over the place, you’ve got to be really aware of him."

Lawrence made sure to mention other players on the Chargers' defense, too. They will be fielding players such as elite pass rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, cornerbacks JC Jackson and Asante Samuel Jr. and other players that make up the talented Los Angeles defenders.

"Really just talented all over the board, we’ve got to just be really disciplined," Lawrence added, mentioning that it will ultimately come down to which team executes better.

Rayshawn Jenkins can't wait to play former team

Just a week after recording his first interception as a member of the Jaguars, Jenkins will have an opportunity to go up against the team that originally drafted him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Miami.

That opportunity, Jenkins said on Thursday in the locker room, is exciting.

"I'm excited every week ... got some unfinished business over there, so it's gonna be a fun weekend for me," he said when asked about the opportunity to play his former team.

Jenkins is quite familiar with James, too. He played with the DB for three years from 2018-20, often playing in place of James when the young safety got injured during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He knows him quite well and still keeps up with

"That's one of my good friends," Jenkins told reporters. "I played with him for three years. [He's] one of the top guys in the league, in my opinion, man ... It's good going back and matching up with them boys again this weekend. But, we're on different teams now, so."

The Jaguars will have an opportunity to exercise some demons, earn another victory and perhaps give Jenkins some nice revenge along the way on the West Coast on Sunday.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars, Lawrence prep for tough challenge vs. Chargers' Derwin James