Jabrill Peppers
There are some that feel Jabrill Peppers could convert to linebacker in the NFL which may take him out of contention with the Bears. The Bears would want him to play safety to make it worthwhile to take him in the first round. And is probably not someone they would want to take at number three in the first round. But could they take him a little later?
In looking at Pepper’s upside, you will notice that he is a hard hitter who doesn’t shy away from tackling. Bears fans would love that. He has the speed to stick with faster receivers, tight ends and even quarterbacks coming out of the backfield. His versatility is nice but concentrating on one position will make him a better player (at one position). His ability to return punts and kickoffs will appeal to the Bears.
He does well covering receivers and can disrupt their timing. If he gets caught out of position and falls behind, he has the speed to get caught back up and make the play. Peppers can play the run very well and is an aggressive run defender. He can even rush the passer which is a plus.
Some of the negative aspects of Peppers is that he may be a little bit of a liability, at least at first, in earning pass interference penalties because he tends to grab and pull (at receivers). Some say that he has poor instincts when in coverage. Peppers was also not a turnover generating “machine” having just one interception in his college career.
His not settling at one position has made some wonder exactly where he would fit in best. Not having one true position will force him to have a learning curve when he comes into the league. That may delay his ability to be very effective in his first NFL season. Another pet peeve of scouts is that Peppers doesn’t complete wrap up when he tackles allowing some ball carriers to break free and get a few extra yards. He must take care of that quickly once he’s drafted.
There is no way that Peppers should be taken at number three. He’s a guy the Bears need to trade down past the tenth pick in the first round to get. But should they even consider taking him? He’s a bit of a risk but could be a player that pays big dividends in the end. That’s if he can settle at safety.