Daniel Wade· Jul 20, 2026
Wade endorses the view that Derwin James is the second-best safety in the NFL, saying that's exactly where he belongs and that some voters have a good case for calling him the best.
“Derwin James was ranked as the second best safety in the NFL, which is right where he belongs.”
said on air, transcribed by us · Locked On Chargers (podcast) · read the original →
One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Their call against the record
positional finish2They said
222025 finish
Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
1 checkable claim in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Derwin James to finish top 2 at his position, by interceptions
“Derwin James was ranked as the second best safety in the NFL, which is right where he belongs... top two is pretty good... That absolutely feels like the right place to put him.”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
What others said about the same people
- Sam MonsonGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South.
- David DroegemeierTrade and Signing Calls · Mekhi BectonHit · 100Drogemeier says the Chargers cutting Mekhi Becton is a foregone conclusion, freeing nearly $9 million in cap space, and only a matter of when.
- Mina KimesTrade and Signing Calls · Mekhi BectonHit · 100Kimes projects Washington receiver Denzel Boston as a second-half-of-the-first-round pick and expects the Chargers to move on from Mekhi Becton.
- Eric ManginiGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0In his taped upset alert, the coach took the winless Chargers to beat the undefeated Bills, citing Los Angeles' desperation and Buffalo's leaky defense.
- Eric WilliamsGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Williams picks the Chargers as the 0-2 team to rebound, comparing it to the 2017 team that started 0-4 and finished 9-7, and suggests they will rise up on the road against Buffalo rather than collapse.
- David DroegemeierGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Drogmeier also buys the Chargers as a top-five offense, thinks Ladd McConkie reaching roughly 100 catches/top-five in receptions is realistic, predicts the Chargers beat the Bills, projects six to eight and a half sacks for Justin Eboigbe, and expects Khalil Mack to retire after the season.
More positional finishes
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Rich HribarPositional Finishes · Matthew StaffordHit · 100Hribar published his 2023 fantasy football quarterback tiers, ordering 41 quarterbacks into eight tiers that reflect how he prioritizes drafting the position, with Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes in the top tier as the trio most likely to finish as the overall QB1.
- Chris BrockmanPositional Finishes · Jaxon Smith-NjigbaHit · 100Brockman argued Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already the best receiver in the NFL and deserves to be the highest paid, called his shot that three quarterbacks (Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck) go in the first round with Mendoza first overall, and suggested New England is headed for a 7-10 season.
- Ryan TracyPositional Finishes · Bryan CookMiss · 0Tracy argues the Chiefs should address edge rusher and defensive tackle via the draft and use free agency on running back and wide receiver; he names Brian Robinson as his target, expects Kenneth Walker III to re-sign with Seattle, thinks Nick Bolton-style veterans like Jerry Tillery, Derek Nnadi and Mike Pennel shouldn't return, believes Bryan Cook is a top-10 safety the Chiefs can't afford, and predicts a quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) will rocket up boards so more than one QB goes in the top 10.
- Pat GustavsonPositional Finishes · Bijan RobinsonClose · 75Gustafson picks the Patriots, Bills, Seahawks and Bears in the divisional round with a Seahawks-Patriots Super Bowl, predicts Mike Tomlin and Matt LaFleur stay, Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, and lays out his own coaching landing spots.
- JP AcostaPositional Finishes · Bijan RobinsonClose · 75JP picked the Eagles to beat the 49ers in a low-scoring game and the Jaguars to beat the Bills, called Bijan Robinson the best running back in the league, and named his own first-team All-Pro roster.
- Rich EisenPositional Finishes · George PickensHit · 100Eisen called the Rams-winning-it-all take an overreaction but expects Los Angeles to win the NFC West, said he doesn't see how Myles Garrett fails to win Defensive Player of the Year, and called George Pickens perhaps the third-best receiver in the NFL this season.