NFL Mock Draft 2018: Updated first round after Week 9

Sports Illustrated named Derwin James the best player in college football in their preseason Top 100. He check in at No. 4 in our list. There were a lot of rankings done, but the common them among them was single digits.

Few players posses the potential to completely lock down their side of the field. James, like Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick, have done enough already in their careers that opposing offenses are scheming them out of games. College coordinators and quarterbacks have learned the hard way what happens when you challenge James.

James missed most of his sophomore season with a knee injury suffered early on. Having him off the field was a huge blow to the FSU defense. Corner Tarvarus McFadden stepped up, but the lack of James was evident.

Back on the field once again, James has led a defensive unit that has been forced to be near-perfect. A heavier burden was placed on the Noles defense when starting quarterback Deondre Francois was lost for the season against Alabama. James has stepped up and continued to climb in draft projections. The Chargers desperately need help in the secondary, adding a leader like James is a no brainer.

James, like the rest of the Seminoles, hasn’t had his best season. However, he did register a season high 13 tackles in their loss to Boston College.