IDP Rookie SWOT: Jabrill Peppers

Name: Jabrill Peppers

Position: Defensive back/linebacker

Pro Team: Cleveland Browns

College Team: Michigan

Draft Status: Round One, Pick 25

Video Highlights

Combine Review

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 213 pounds
• Hands: 9.625”
• Arm Length: 30.75”
• 40-Yard Dash: 4.46
• Vertical: 35.5”
• Broad: 128”

Strengths

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Jabrill is a hard player to watch without getting pretty excited.  If you took a moment to watch the highlight video or perhaps recently caught some Michigan football this isn’t news to you.  Yes, Jabrill isn’t exactly your stereotypical strong safety.  We’ll get to that in just a bit.  But let’s first take a look at the things Jabrill does very well that could lead him to be a top asset for your fantasy football teams.

The first thing that pops when watching Peppers is his freak athleticism.  Jabrill pursues for tackles and pass break-ups quickly with that twitchy agility, burst and solid long speed.  But of course Jabrill brings more to the table with that athleticism than just good defense.  He can also be trusted to run the ball, catch passes and return kicks when called upon.  That type of versatility can come in handy when your league counts return yardage and offensive production for defensive players.

Jabrill’s versatility isn’t just limited to the fact that he can play offense, special teams and defense.  No, he can line up all over the defense as well.  At Michigan Jabrill could blitz from an inside or outside linebacker position with success.  He covered tight ends well from the slot or off-man near the box.  He could also drop back into coverage as a safety.  In fact that’s when some of Jabrill’s best big-hit highlights came.  He does a fantastic job of avoiding blocks on screens and baiting quarterbacks into thinking a player is open.  Jabrill simply trusts his ability to make the play when it counts.  And more often than not, in college, Jabrill could make the stops when necessary.

Weaknesses

However, like every other college player entering the NFL, Jabrill is not a perfect prospect.  One of the first things you may hear from Peppers’ detractors is the fact that he somehow only had one interception and zero forced fumbles in his entire collegiate career.  That’s not exactly the elite playmaking chops you want to see out of a potential future IDP fantasy football stud.

“Okay, but defense isn’t all about forcing turnovers!”

Yes, this is true.  But!  It is a bit strange that Jabrill basically never forces turnovers.  Why is that?  As I mentioned earlier Jabrill trusts his athletic ability to make plays.  That’s a strength and weakness for Jabrill.  At times he will be caught out of position over-pursuing or playing off of his man because of what is either overconfidence or lack of awareness.  That often led to him being out of great position to make a play on the ball.  That won’t fly in the NFL.  A good quarterback will take advantage and turn that into a quick six points.

Let’s not overthink this though.  Jabrill does not have many weaknesses.  But there are definitely questions about how he’ll be used in Cleveland.  What position will he truly play?  Is he big enough to be an in-the-box NFL safety?  Does he cover well enough to be trusted with the better tight ends in the NFL?  Will he find himself in a rotation because of his true scheme fit?  That leads us to Jabrill’s opportunities.

Opportunities

If anyone wants proof that the Browns were actually intentionally tanking in 2016 look no further than their safeties.  In fact if you can name all four of the Cleveland Browns safeties from 2016 with at least 350 snaps then congratulations!  You know something that no one else on the planet (probably) knows.  Yes, they were a studly bunch: Derrick Kindred, Ed Reynolds, Ibraheim Campbell, and Jordan Poyer.

Well this year Jabrill Peppers and free agent signee and former fellow first round draft pick Calvin Pryor joined the squad at safety.  Unless something crazy happens Peppers and Pryor should be on the field quite often for the Browns.  Where they are both utilized is definitely a question, but again we’ll get to that.

Hue Jackson has already been quoted talking about using Jabrill on offense and special teams.  Those kind of opportunities would be absolutely fantastic for fantasy football purposes.  Imagine a DB that has a floor of 20 return yards, averages 15 or 20 yards on the ground, and then adds some tackles as the cherry on top!  There is plenty of opportunity to be had here with Peppers.  Let’s hope the Browns get creative.

Threats

This is where things get interesting.   The biggest threat to Jabrill Peppers having a consistent and trustworthy role for fantasy football is really just a question.  Where will he be utilized most often on defense?

Calvin Pryor and Jabrill Peppers both seem to fit the strong safety role, but they are also most likely the best two safeties on the team.  There’s a great chance that Pryor is actually lands in the more stereotypical strong safety role for the majority of snaps as he did about 80% of the time last year in New York.

Using Jabrill as a true “free” or “deep” safety would probably be a bad idea given his lack of real experience dropping deep in the “last man back” role.  The fact that he doesn’t fit that role might be a good thing for fantasy football purposes.  However, what does that mean for Jabrill then?

Jamie Collins and Christian Kirksey are most likely locked in as every-down linebackers for Cleveland.  Kirksey will most likely play middle.  Collins will probably shift around but could find himself weak side more often than not.  That’s at least two linebacker spots that Jabrill won’t be touching.  His exact down to down role is definitely in question.

Short-Term Expectations

But!  Don’t worry too much about those threats.  There’s some potentially great news.

Thanks to Jabrill’s versatility, he could very well be the skeleton key that holds the Cleveland defense together.  On early downs Jabrill could slide into a linebacker role with Kirksey and Collins or shade over a tight end or slot receiver against teams that run a lot of three or more receiver sets (Raiders, Giants, the majority of the league, really).  On passing downs Jabrill could cover a slot receiver, blitz, or even play a short zone in a third linebacker role (for 3-3-5 looks).  The possibilities are nearly endless.

Given the Browns pricey investment in Peppers one thing is for sure.  Regardless of where he lines up in 2017 Jabrill should see the field early and often on defense.  If he sees some offensive and return snaps too, that’s even better.

Long-Term Expectations

Calvin Pryor’s level of success in 2017 could play a big part in Jabrill’s long-term future role on the Browns defense.  If Pryor succeeds and earns an extension, he most likely fills the conventional strong safety role for quite some time in Cleveland.  That would leave Jabrill to be the quirky chess piece he most certainly can be on defense.  However, if Pryor fails in 2017 Peppers could immediately be thrust into a more standard strong safety role as soon as 2018.  The Browns would then fill the gaps that Peppers was filling on defense with a few of their several hundred draft picks.

Either way, the future looks bright for Peppers.  Whether he plays strong safety or some combination of four positions for the Browns there is ample opportunity for long term fantasy football goodness.  Invest confidently.

Rookie Draft Advice

That brings us to the final chapter.  Rookie draft advice is quite difficult at times given how different IDP leagues can be.  And at this point there is a good chance your rookie draft has already happened.  However, if not, Jabrill Peppers will probably not last past pick 30 (with offensive players involved as well) unless there are some strange premiums involved in your league format.  Given Jabrill’s versatility many have him as their DB1 this year.  Grabbing him around pick 20 may feel like a reach, but if you want to ensure you add him this year, it may be the time to take him.  If that pick range seems off given your format, then think of it another way.  Once you see the first few linebackers and Myles Garrett go off the board, it’s probably time to pull the trigger.

Thanks for reading!  If you’re like me, you can’t wait to find the next bit of IDP content.  There will be more to come from me for sure.  As always you can find me on Twitter @FF_TravisM.  I’m always up to chat IDP, superflex, devy, dynasty, or maybe even some ultimate frisbee.  Until next time, keep living that dynasty life.

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