Michigan’s Peppers offers versatility to NFL suitors
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 NFL.
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.”
Brandt believes Peppers is talented enough to be drafted in the middle of the first round, but won’t be surprised if he’s available early in the second round.
“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.”
The 5-foot-11, 213-pound Peppers acknowledged last month it is fair to question where he will play in the NFL because there isn’t a lot of tape of him at safety. Peppers was primarily used as a nickel cornerback as a sophomore in 2015.
Coach Jim Harbaugh had him return punts and kickoffs and play on offence, putting him in as a wildcat quarterback, running back and wide receiver.
“I’ve had one team tell me they want me to play linebacker,” Peppers said in March at Michigan’s pro day. “One team told me they thought I should play offence. Other than that it’s, ‘You’re a safety.’ No one’s come into a room and said, ‘Jabrill, we don’t know what to do with you.’ ”
Peppers led a team stacked with NFL-calibre players with 16 tackles for losses last season and ranked third with 72 tackles. He also had four sacks, one interception and forced a fumble.
He won the Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile college football player, and the Lott Trophy, which honours a defensive player for character and performance.
“Whatever team takes me, it’s going to be a steal,” Peppers said. “I don’t care what the draft experts ... what they have to say. I only care about what these GMs and coaches think about me. I just need the opportunity. That’s it.
“I didn’t play safety, but I’m going to be a safety.”