Anthony Rivardo (Edit)
The New York Giants have put together a young, talented secondary entering the 2020 NFL season. New York has invested plenty of assets into its defensive secondary over the past two years. The Giants drafted three defensive backs in 2019, signed James Bradberry to a lucrative contract in 2020, then drafted three more defensive backs in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Possibly the most crucial acquisition in the secondary, though, was a trade made in the 2019 offseason. The infamous Odell Beckham Jr. trade that sent New York’s star receiver to Cleveland yielded the Giants a talented, young safety: Jabrill Peppers.
In his first season with the New York Giants, Jabrill Peppers had flashes of greatness. The potential was clearly there. Unfortunately, where there were great moments, there were also poor moments. Jabrill was inconsistent in the Giants’ defense last season, as he had been in his first two seasons with the Browns. This could have been a product of the Giants’ inefficient defensive scheme that saw a number of talented players struggle in 2019.
Despite the struggles, there was enough shown by Peppers on the field to convince the Giants that he has a future with the team. New York picked up his fifth-year option, a no-brainer decision considering the financial bargain. Jabrill was productive in 2019, being somewhat of a turnover-machine.
Peppers forced 3 fumbles in 2019 and had 1 interception which he took back to the end zone. Peppers also defended 5 passes, totaled 76 tackles and 5 tackles for loss, all in an 11-game span. He did miss 11 tackles, though, and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 63.9% of passes for 268 yards and 1 touchdown against him. These numbers are not terrible by any means, but they definitely exhibit room for improvement.
Luckily for the Giants, there is reason to expect improvement out of Jabrill Peppers in 2020.
Peppers missed the final five games of the Giants’ 2019 season with a fracture on his vertebra. Jabrill lost his athleticism, “wincing” upon taking small steps, but he has worked hard to regain that same explosiveness this offseason. The NY Post spoke with Jabrill’s trainer this week:
“He looks like he did as a [New Jersey] state champion sprinter,†trainer Brian Walker told The Post. “Movement-wise, he looks free. He’s maintained that speed and strength, even though he is leaning up.†– Via Ryan Dunleavy of the NY Post
Jabrill Peppers has been training hard this offseason to return to the field without missing a step in 2020. So far, the hard work has more than paid off as Peppers has made athletic improvements from last season. His trainer, Brian Walker, even thinks Peppers could play cornerback in the future and compared Peppers to 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Could the New York Giants really look to convert Peppers into a cornerback as he enters his fourth season? Byron Jones made the transition from safety to cornerback in his fourth NFL season with the Cowboys. Maybe with his improved athleticism, Jabrill Peppers could make that transition and propel himself to stardom. But if the Giants continue Jabrill’s career at the safety position, which they likely will, his improved athleticism will lead him to an excellent 2020 season in a new defensive scheme.
This post was published on 2020-07-26 18:30
