New York Giants: Jabrill Peppers Is A True Swiss-Army Knife On Defense

New York Giants, Jabrill Peppers
New York Giants, Jabrill Peppers

The New York Giants‘ secondary underwent major changes in the 2019 NFL offseason. These changes were very much necessary as New York’s secondary has been one of the league’s worst the past two seasons.

In 2017, the Giants’ secondary allowed 252.4 passing yards per game (ranked 31st in the NFL). In 2018, the Giants’ secondary allowed 252.8 passing yards (ranked 23rd in the NFL), showing minimal to no improvement.

The Giants’ secondary should be improved in 2019. New York drafted three defensive backs in the 2019 NFL Draft (four if counting Sam Beal). The secondary has been completely rebuilt.

One key addition in the Giants’ secondary is Jabrill Peppers. Peppers is listed as a strong safety, but he is much more than that. Peppers has the ability to line up and make plays all over the defense.

Jabrill Peppers Stats And Highlights

Jabrill Peppers’s most valuable attribute is his ability to play multiple positions. The Cleveland Browns lined him up all over their defense in 2018 and saw him make plays everywhere he lined up.

In 2018, most of Peppers’s snaps were played at safety (281 snaps), but he played a lot of snaps at linebacker (172 snaps), edge (133 snaps), and slot cornerback (108 snaps), too, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jabrill was a serious playmaker last season. He played all 16 games and finished with 79 combined tackles, 1 interception, 5 passes defended, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries.

Jabrill’s ability to play in multiple positions on defense make him a Swiss-Army Knife, a true weapon, on the Giants’ young defense.

But Peppers is not limited to playing just defense. The true jack-of-all-trades can be a solid contributor on special teams, too.

Peppers was an excellent return man in college. He averaged 26.8 yards per return on 18 returns for 483 yards on kickoffs but 0 touchdowns in two seasons as Michigan’s kick returner. As a punt returner, Peppers averaged 13.1 yards per return on 39 returns for 510 yards and 1 touchdown.

Jabrill Peppers did also return kicks during his two seasons with Cleveland. He was not spectacular, but he was decent. He averaged 22 yards per return on 33 returns for 726 yards. Peppers has big-play ability and will be a great addition to the Giants’ special teams unit.

The Giants’ secondary lacked a versatile safety in 2018. Landon Collins was an excellent run-defending safety, however, his shortcomings in coverage became an obvious issue. Jabrill Peppers is an improvement in coverage and is just as good in run defense.

According to Pro Football Focus, Landon Collins posted a coverage grade of only 68.2 in 2018, ranked 45th out of all safeties in the NFL. Peppers recorded a coverage grade of 77.3.

Jabrill Peppers is a truly versatile safety with tons of talent in many different aspects of the game. He will make an instant impact on the Giants’ defense, and maybe even their special teams.