Matt Bowen, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

10 NFL rookies who landed with the perfect teams

NFL, NFL Draft, Washington Redskins

With the 2018 NFL draft wrapped and teams transitioning to offseason OTAs, let's take a look at some of the best rookie fits.

Starting with the upper-tier athletic traits of Derwin James in the Chargers' defensive scheme, here are 10 first-year players who landed in the right spots to produce this season.


Derwin James, S, Los Angeles Chargers

We know that James has a freakish combination of size and athleticism at the position. The 4.4-second speed is there, too. But I'm looking at the scheme fit in Los Angeles because it's a perfect match for James' skill set. With defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, James projects in that Kam Chancellor role underneath. The closing speed is there, and so is the explosive power on contact. He can hit and track the ball in space. Plus, James has the traits to play over the top as a deep middle-third defender. You want upside and versatility in a defense that caters to the player? Man, this is it with James. I'm still shocked he was on the board at 17.

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