Michigan’s Peppers may stick around for second round

ANN ARBOR, MICH. >> Jabrill Peppers perhaps played out of position at Michigan last season, lining up as a linebacker even though he seemed most suited to play safety in the NFL.

He made enough plays to become a Heisman Trophy finalist as a junior and to determine he was ready to play in the league.

Timing might work against Peppers, though, because he’s projected to be taken after LSU’s Jamal Davis and Ohio State’s Malik Hooker. Those two safeties are expected to be among the top selections next week, and no one appears to be sure when Peppers will be taken.

“It’s unfortunate that he’s coming out in a year where there are so many good safeties,” NFL draft consultant and former Dallas Cowboys general manager Gil Brandt said. “Under normal conditions, he’d probably be the No. 1 safety, but the Ohio State and the LSU guys are so good.

“He’s a tremendous football player. He finds a way to makes things happen. Even though he only had one interception at Michigan, he finds a way to make a big play, whether it’s a sack off a blitz or on a punt return.”

Brandt believes Peppers is talented enough to potentially be drafted in the middle of the first round, but won’t be surprised if he’s available early in the second round. Even though Peppers was pushed out of his comfort zone last season, Brandt does not think it affected his value to NFL teams.

“The only thing that hurts him a little bit is he doesn’t have very good hands,” Brandt said. “At pro day, he dropped about three passes.”

Bleacher Report NFL analyst Chris Simms said Peppers was the “most overrated” prospect in the draft last week and the proud player fired back the next day on Twitter.

“I played out of position (LB (at) 200lbs) pounds, and still became an All American,” Peppers tweeted. “How many players can/ ARE WILLING to do that for their team?”