As the football world continues to try to process the New York Giants trading superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, it can’t be lost in the sauce that the G-Men got themselves an interesting and talented player in return with safety Jabrill Peppers.
Big Blue landed Peppers in the deal that sent Beckham Jr. to Cleveland, as well as the Browns’ No. 17 overall pick and the team’s second third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
While stunning, the move secures a huge area of need on defense for Big Blue and nets general manager Dave Gettleman two more picks to work with in the upcoming draft.
A closer look at Peppers shows why Giants fans should be excited about the newest member of Big Blue.
A local guy
Being acquired by the Giants means Peppers will be enjoying a homecoming. A native of East Orange, New Jersey, Peppers went to Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, and later Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus.
Peppers went on to win state titles in each of his four years in high school and also broke records and dominated events as a track athlete. He was the definition of a winner in high school.
The Michigan days
Before choosing Michigan, Peppers was considered an elite five-star recruit in 2014 and was even ranked as the No. 1 recruit by ESPN. Peppers proved to be worth every bit of the hype during his tenure with the Wolverines. Peppers had the ability to play all over the field for head coach Jim Harbaugh, even on special teams.
After the 2016 season in which Peppers played linebacker and was named a unanimous All-American, he received a slew of awards, including the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. His work on special teams earned him the Rodgers-White Return Specialist of the Year.
Peppers is an athletic freak
The Giants’ new safety has played almost everywhere on the field during the course of his football career. In high school he was switched from cornerback to running back in his sophomore season, which would only foreshadow his jack-of-all-trades ability.
In college, Peppers was a kick and punt returner on top of his elite play on defense. Before moving to linebacker in his junior year, Peppers also spent time at safety and defensive back. He played snaps on offense and had both carries and receptions as a Wolverine.
Since then, Peppers has carried his impressive athleticism to the NFL, where he has played as both a safety and returner for the Browns in his first two seasons.
On to the Browns
Cleveland took Peppers as the No. 25 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and he was converted to safety after not having a clear-cut position at first. The transition seemed a bit rough for Peppers as a rookie, but things have started to turn around for him.
In his second season, Peppers started to show some progress at his new position and appeared to be settling in nicely in a hybrid role. The Michigan product finished with 79 tackles, one pick, five pass deflections, one sack and two fumbles recovered. The 23-year-old finished as Pro Football Focus’ No. 19 safety of 2018.
The contract
Peppers is smack-dab in the middle of his rookie contract, which was for four years and $10.3 million. The former first-round pick is set to make a combined $3.2 million over the final two years of that deal and has already proven well worth his weight in gold.
In Peppers, the Giants get a far cheaper alternative to what has been on the open market. Not only that, but the Giants are getting a young player who is only scratching the surface of what he has the potential to become.
Alongside the signing of veteran safety Antoine Bethea, the Giants have saved themselves a boatload of money at the two safety positions and managed to make a significant upgrade. Most importantly, it opens up more money for Big Blue to address other needs ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft.
