The New York Giants are going to have to get creative in 2020 if they wish to walk away with a winning record. With one of the strongest schedules in the NFL, a young team with second-year quarterback Daniel Jones under center will have a tall task ahead of them.
Defensively, a majority of their units are inexperienced and have minimal chemistry with one another. Live-action will ultimately provide that cohesion, but I anticipate early struggles.
Nonetheless, head coach Joe Judge is keen on being creative and utilizing his players to their maximum potential. Safety Jabrill Peppers could be factored in, in multiple ways, mostly on special teams. While Peppers only returned four puns and one kickoff last year, his first two seasons in the NFL saw him return 55 punts and 33 kickoffs. I expect the Giants to utilize him in a more prevalent role as a return man this upcoming season.
New York Giants’ head coach Joe Judge is excited about the possibilities with Peppers:
“I think one thing specifically on Jabrill is the versatility he brings to you,†head coach Joe Judge said this week. “He’s a guy that obviously plays a large number of roles for us on defense. He’s also handled core roles on coverage units, he’s been a returner in the past. He’s a guy that loves football. Really what he is, he’s kind of that kid in the classroom who won’t sit still. He keeps wiggling. So, you have to keep him busy all the time, otherwise he gets disruptive.
Winning is the goal of any football team, and utilizing your best players to get the job done is a necessity.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to win,†Peppers said.
“Absolutely, absolutely. Definitely,” he sais when asked about being involved on offense.
Many NFL teams utilize players on both sides of the ball, and Peppers could be an attractive option in the wild cat. With his ability to make defenders miss and make explosive plays, giving him the ball could be a solid idea.
I wouldn’t anticipate Peppers making an appearance on offense unless it was a trick play, utilizing Saquon Barkley in the backfield and creating mismatches. They can both carry the ball at extremely high levels and make plays out of nothing. Judge prioritizes using players’ strengths and finding ways to unlock potential, and Peppers could easily find his way into their offensive scheme in some precarious way.
Notable two-way players:
-Adoree Jackson
-Devin Hester
-Mike Vrabel
-JJ Watt
-Donatri Poe