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My First Draft Crush for #9 – Jabrill Peppers


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636169892086622297-AP-Heisman-Peppers-Fo 

Jabrill Peppers

- 4.46 (40), Best in LB class, also faster than nearly all premier safeties in the NFL

- 35.5 Vert, Best in LB Class

- 10’8 Broad Jump, Best in LB class and same as likely overall #1 pick

- An impressive 19 reps at only 213 lbs

-  Played QB, RB, WR, LB, CB, SS, FS, PR, KR

- 86 tackles (21 for a loss), 3½ sacks, 10 pass deflections and an interception, along with 45 carries for 268 yards and five touchdowns as a wildcat-option on offense.

- Averaged 13.1 yards on punt returns, including one touchdown.

- Became the first player in Big Ten history to win three individual awards:

Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year

Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year

Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year

- Finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

- 2013 USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year while also starring on offense and in track (won 100 meters and 200 meters at state in both his junior and senior years.)

Bio: A New Jersey kid who wanted to play for Michigan because of Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson, Peppers' home life wasn't easy. His father spent most of Jabrill's childhood in jail, and his brother was shot and killed seven years ago. Football seems to be his calling, though.

Strengths: Athletic and fluid in space with desired change of direction talent. Moves with the changing flow of a play. Willing to sacrifice body to honor contain against run. Jack of all trades. Can play slot, safety or linebacker in sub-packages in any given game. Won't hesitate to race downhill once he diagnoses run. Hits with as much force as he can muster. Has big closing burst. Runs plays down from sideline to sideline. Able to knife into gaps and make tackles for losses or disrupt runs. Has man cover talent and is physical enough to handle most tight ends. Has enough quickness to match receivers. Aggressively re-routes receivers. Capable blitzer who buzzes in from all angles. Electric return man with ability to charge up crowd and his own sideline with big kick or punt return. Has experience carrying and catching the ball and as wildcat quarterback. Could offer red-zone flexibility on offense.

NFL Comparison: Eric Weddle

Bottom Line: The ultimate Swiss Army Knife on the collegiate level, and will likely play a hybrid role on the next level that allows him to blitz, cover and chase, Peppers' draft value will be helped by his return ability and that is a role he should maintain throughout the earlier stages of his career. While Peppers doesn't have the production teams expect from first-round defenders, he should benefit from a role that is more clearly defined on the next level.

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49 minutes ago, BlackJesus said:

636169892086622297-AP-Heisman-Peppers-Fo 

Jabrill Peppers

 

 

- 4.46 (40), Best in LB class, also faster than nearly all premier safeties in the NFL

 

 

- 35.5 Vert, Best in LB Class

 

 

- 10’8 Broad Jump, Best in LB class and same as likely overall #1 pick

 

 

- An impressive 19 reps at only 213 lbs

 

 

-  Played QB, RB, WR, LB, CB, SS, FS, PR, KR

 

 

- 86 tackles (21 for a loss), 3½ sacks, 10 pass deflections and an interception, along with 45 carries for 268 yards and five touchdowns as a wildcat-option on offense.

 

 

- Averaged 13.1 yards on punt returns, including one touchdown.

 

 

- Became the first player in Big Ten history to win three individual awards:

 

 

Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year

 

 

Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year

 

 

Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year

 

 

- Finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

 

 

- 2013 USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year while also starring on offense and in track (won 100 meters and 200 meters at state in both his junior and senior years.)

 

 

Bio: A New Jersey kid who wanted to play for Michigan because of Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson, Peppers' home life wasn't easy. His father spent most of Jabrill's childhood in jail, and his brother was shot and killed seven years ago. Football seems to be his calling, though.

 

 

Strengths: Athletic and fluid in space with desired change of direction talent. Moves with the changing flow of a play. Willing to sacrifice body to honor contain against run. Jack of all trades. Can play slot, safety or linebacker in sub-packages in any given game. Won't hesitate to race downhill once he diagnoses run. Hits with as much force as he can muster. Has big closing burst. Runs plays down from sideline to sideline. Able to knife into gaps and make tackles for losses or disrupt runs. Has man cover talent and is physical enough to handle most tight ends. Has enough quickness to match receivers. Aggressively re-routes receivers. Capable blitzer who buzzes in from all angles. Electric return man with ability to charge up crowd and his own sideline with big kick or punt return. Has experience carrying and catching the ball and as wildcat quarterback. Could offer red-zone flexibility on offense.

 

 

NFL Comparison: Eric Weddle

 

 

Bottom Line: The ultimate Swiss Army Knife on the collegiate level, and will likely play a hybrid role on the next level that allows him to blitz, cover and chase, Peppers' draft value will be helped by his return ability and that is a role he should maintain throughout the earlier stages of his career. While Peppers doesn't have the production teams expect from first-round defenders, he should benefit from a role that is more clearly defined on the next level.

 

 

Comparing him to the LBs is silly.  He's 20 pounds lighter than most of them.  And he's a DB.

I like him more now than I did, but I'm still not a big fan of him at 9.

 

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"When you look at Peppers, you look at what he does, wow. Here's a guy that gives you some safety traits. Here's a guy that can probably come down in the box like a nickel, come down in the box like a linebacker. And if you ever really did need it, you can put him on the offensive side as well. He's got a lot of special teams value. So you have to really break it down to how does he fit you." 
― Panthers coach Ron Rivera

 

"You can literally show him [Peppers] a drawing or a clip and he can visualize it. Then athletically, he can do it on the field the first time as well you can imagine anybody doing it from a clip or on the field." 
― Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh

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No way. If this was any of the previous 5 years, I'd say ok, sure.

no way this year. They NEED plug and play guys out of their first 2-3 picks- players that can come in a play big roles and hopefully be difference makers. This dude is still a project for a year or two. He may end up being a hell of an NFL player... but if I'm the Bengals- No way would I ever take him at 9.

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I'm a Buckeye homer, but there are plenty of Michigan players (including both receiver this year) who I think are underrated as draft prospects. Peppers is the complete opposite. Here's a fun writeup of his play from a Buckeye perspective:

THE VILLAIN

Jabrill Peppers cannot catch J.T. Barrett
Photo Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Just as every good song has already been written, every possible Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Jabrill Peppers take has also already been produced. 

You already know this playlist by heart: 1) Good Enough at Every Position (to just be okay) 2) Laughably Overrated 3) No Actually He's Quite Deserving 4) Bad Stats (What Stats?) 5) Peppers' Versatility Makes Don Brown's Defense Possible 6) Media Creation Borne Out of Desperately Wanting Another Charles Woodson to Happen

Ohio State fans are a reliably hypersensitive tribe incapable of separating what matters to them from the context of any other football subject. The way a lot of you diminish Peppers has dangerous potential to send you hurtling into an unstoppable hypocritical orbit. Without peeling this onion too far, please cite Eddie George's most memorable play or contribution to The Game. Was he overrated? See, this is a dangerous game.

So in that same vein, Peppers is the shittiest villain most Ohio State fans have ever witnessed in their lives. The result is every bit of adulation on his behalf becomes a triggering event.

Let's start with his school-sanctioned #HEI5MAN campaign:

Where to begin - the play being showcased here didn't count. You can literally see the flag that cancelled it at the beginning of the HEI5MAN highlight flying across your screen. It's in the screencap before you press play. This is Michigan's version of Greg Oden's iconic Final Four monster dunk against Georgetown which, inconveniently, didn't go in.

Let's continue with the tackling competence on display in that clip, which hasn't been seen in a Michigan-Rutgers game since the last time Michigan visited Rutgers:

 

 
 

 

Third of all it's a basic spin move...against Rutgers. Dontre Wilson does this whenever he enters a public restroom, which is the closest Rutgers approximation. It should have been more impressive, or even counted. But let's get back to the core of why Peppers hype is the perfect ruse for making Ohio State fans crazy.

We have heard the fawning since his recruitment by Brady Hoke. Buckeye fans listened to it every week during his freshman season, when he played a little before taking a medical redshirt. Then it happened all over again last season. Then again in 2016. We prepared ourselves for terror. You hold your breath whenever Peppers has the ball. Only if you're simultaneously being crop-dusted.

We are reliably hypersensitive, buuuuut also football-fluent enough to know what's real. Tom Harmon got a standing ovation in Ohio Stadium. Bo's turncoats during the Ten-Year War were despised because they overdelivered against the Buckeyes. I cannot type the words John Kolesar without tensing up. Woodson, Biakabutuka, Howard, hell - Shoelaces Robinson lighting up the bloated carcass of Ohio State's empty 2011 season gets a respectful nod. Michigan villains are as hated as they are fearsome.

Even the two most noteworthy 0-4 guys in Wolverines history:

MIKE HART VS. OSU 2004-2007
YEAR CARRIES YARDS TOTAL TDS
2004 18 61 100 1
2005 9 15 26 0
2006 23 142 147 3
2007 18 44 44 0
CHAD HENNE VS. OSU 2004-2007
YEAR ATT CMP TOTAL TD INT
2004 27 54 328 2 2
2005 25 36 223 1 0
2006 21 35 267 2 0
2007 11 34 68 0 0

...had moments of villainry, despite lacking a corresponding victory. Respect.

This brings us back to Peppers, whose empty statistics aren't worth throwing up here because - again - I buy into every track on the playlist above. Some football things just cannot be properly defended using stats. Sometimes you just need memorable plays.

Here's one.

juke juke juke

That view doesn't do it justice - here's a better angle of Peppers trying to stop the least jukey full-time OSU quarterback since Todd Boeckman:

barrett jukes peppers

Here's another.

Barrett separates from Peppers

That's a 41-yard run by a quarterback who clocks 4.62 40. If Dontre seals his block properly, Peppers is chasing him all the way into the endzone like a one-man gopher colony. He had a great view of it.

Barrett runs away from Peppers

Speaking of having a great view:

Curtis Samuel wins the game while Mike Weber erases Peppers

True Michigan villains are expected to deliver pain that burns for decades. They're as evil as they are effective, and their calculated assaults on Ohio State are burned into our memories forever.

Peppers also promised Curtis Samuel would take some punishment this year. So to this hypersensitive tribe, he's a winless promise-breaker who frequently shows up in Michigan highlights we actually enjoy watching. He never even achieved Jim Mandich or Chris Perry sub-villain status. But that doesn't mean he isn't exceptional otherwise.

From our vantage point - the only point we care about -  it was all just a lot of noise. Good luck at the next level, choose your financial planner wisely and thanks for the MEMORIE5.

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1 hour ago, happyrid said:

I'm a Buckeye homer, but there are plenty of Michigan players

As a Nebraska fan, I don't really get involved in the whole OSU-Michigan rivalry, nor do I much care. I don't have a dog in that fight. But something tells me if Peppers played for the Buckeyes, he'd be in at least 10 signatures of Buckeye fans on this forum and OSU fans would be drooling all over him. 

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