The more I read up on Jabril Peppers, the more I like him. Getting him was a good (if not great) deal for the Giants who were in need of a quality safety after the loss of Collins.
Everyone knows that he was a first round pick and a Heisman Trophy finalist. And that he was also a consensus first-team All-American. But he also won the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player (note: Saquon Barkley won the award in 2017, and OBJ won it in 2013). Here's some things you might not know.
At the combine, Peppers ran the fastest of all linebackers and safeties - 4.46 (2nd fastest was 4.58). However, he also ran a verified 4.34 at Michigan State and was timed in a live game running 40 yards in 3.77. Of course, he had a running start when he picked up the ball on the 40 yd line and ran down the field for a touchdown, but that is the fastest recorded 40 in football history.
He was a track star in New Jersey...breaking the New Jersey state record in the 200-meter dash as a junior, running a 20.79. He earned two state titles in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash, and added state championships in the 4x400-meter relay and 4x100-meter relay. He is really fast!
He has played 15 different defensive, offensive and special teams positions for the Wolverines in 2016, recording 726 snaps on defense, 154 on special teams and 53 on offense and has even lined up as a wildcat QB. In short, he's an uber talent with off the charts athleticism...a do-it-all defensive back-linebacker-punt/kick returner-tailback-receiver-quarterback. Of course, some will say a "jack of all trades, master of none." But after settling in as a strong safety for the Browns, he proved he could star in that position and has proven he has a high ceiling and will get even better.
He has also been the Browns primary kick and punt returner since joining the team.
When the Giants were working out a deal, the Browns made it clear they did NOT want to part with Peppers, but the Giants insisted on him or the deal wouldn't be made.
To top it off, he is a very high character player who actually stays healthy all year long!
Can't wait to watch him play.
Proof will be on game day.
kinda reminds me of another blockbuster trade way back in the day...
When the Giants were negotiating with the Chargers for Eli Manning, AJ Smith desperately wanted a young player named Osi Umenyiora, who was still a bit of an unknown. Ernie wouldn't budge on that and it held up the trade for a long time, almost undid it until the Giants called their bluff and picked Rivers.
Many would have been more happy with 2 2019 first round picks (#17, #25) a third rounder and a move up from the fifth into the fourth.
So compare the choices:
#25 pick this year - who would be available? What is the hit rate at that position of the draft for league average healthy starter or better? On the pro side of that argument you are a couple of years younger and you have two more years of controlled lower-cost salary.
Peppers - healthy, young, cheap, experienced and plays a position the Giants NEED where no better FA are available at 3X the price. While closer to UFA, still has a few years left of team control and by the time he hits FA the Giants have lots of cap room. The team must obviously have a very high grade on him from taking actual NFL snaps, compared to a college resume only.
IMO getting Peppers is like getting the #10 pick in this year's draft, maybe even better than that.
Do not forget special teams..
punt returner!
we will have the most talented group of returners ever
And let's not give Gettleman credit for filling a hole he created. We'd still be talking about letting a pro bowl safety walk for no compensation if the Beckham trade didn't happen.
Good luck to him. I hope Bettcher finds good ways to use him.
Can't wait to watch him play.
Agreed - And if I remember correctly at the Combine, he was a "Whatever you need me to do" guy.. working out with both S & LB's... Hopefully, he can be a leader in the locker room too (DESPERATELY needed).
I was hoping NYG would find a way to draft him, and now he's here. Terrific prospect and only 24 this season.
Two, I think the Giants see him as filling that hybrid role in Bettcher's system and being a really dynamic play maker in that role.
Shhhhh, the pollyannas will get mad at you. How dare you pay attention to what Peppers has actually done in the NFL instead of swooning over his awesomeness in Ann Arbor and some Jersey high school!
No... it is more than that.
The eventual evaluation on the trade will have to be not only how Peppers performs but also what we do with the other picks AND how OBJ finishes out the rest of his contract.
You have to look at everything.
Which is just as much as statement of pure faith absent any evidence as saying that you believe in the Easter Bunny.
Jeez man, relax a little. The HS stuff was just a point of reference to his speed.
Collins had 10 over the same span.
I think Peppers is a better fit in this type of defense than Collins. We'll see.
One thing I've learned over the last 19 years with this teams is never get my hopes up about any player or any team we field. Makes disappointment much easier to swallow. And it makes winning that much more special.
Although, most won't believe this, but I expected a run by the 2007 team. My friends can all attest to it. Me and former BBI poster Faust were adamant after the 2006 season that they could go on a run in 2007. Back to back playoff seasons and the fact that in 2006 the only team that really kicked our ass handedly was the Jags, in our opinion.
But back to the topic of Peppers, I hope he's great but I could see this going either way. Let's just see where the chips fall. Hopefully we draft some monsters that will be in front of him and Bathea.
Yea, I think we see a lot of him on the field with both Bethea and Thomas. He's not that much smaller than Tae Davis.
Ill admit that I havent watched every game he has played in a Browns uniform. However, I DID watch the Broncos/Browns game last year, and Peppers was borderline dominant in that game. As I remember it, he had a huge sack, what was basically the game winning INT, just a really good overall performance. Again, not sure what he did in the rest of the games last year, but for me, based on what I saw from him that game, I am very hopeful.
Eric -- perhaps one of the issues is that he played all over the place in college so he was far from a finished product at his NFL position, Safety.
Man, you are fucking relentless. Ha ha.
What did you expect? Aside from switching schemes from 4-3 to 3-4 (and barely having adequate players for 4-3) We lost our best pass rusher in preseason. What kind of horses did he have? He had NO one that could cover the middle of the field (par for the course for Giants). They may have improved keeping Snacks in the mix, but that was also a big loss in run defense and pocket push. The guy needs better players. He did a nice job in AZ.
Yeah. He didn’t work out in Cleveland? But who does?
Possible. But that usually shows up more for a CB.
Who pissed in your cheerios today? Why aren't you telling anyone he was played 30 yards off the ball his first year which is completely out of position for him? He's the kind of the player who needs to be near the line of scrimmage.
Easy to use a 2 year argument while leaving out he was misaligned year 1. Once they got Randall and he switched roles he thrived.