Jabrill Peppers, linebacker/safety, Michigan
A player without a position. Some teams are even contemplating the idea of playing Peppers on offense. That’s how extremely talented the former Michigan safety is.
While having that type of versatility and athleticism is a plus, there’s definitely some concerns here. Is Peppers big enough to play linebacker? Does he have the coverage skills to play free safety? Depending on how teams answer these questions, there’s surely a scenario in play here that suggests Peppers could fall completely out of Round 1.
He’s also somewhat limited in terms of what specific position he can play. At linebacker, the 5-foot-11, 213-pound former Wolverine is pretty much limited to the weak-side position in 4-3 defenses. At safety, he surely doesn’t possess enough of a frame to play strong safety.
With free safety itself absolutely stacked in the 2017 NFL Draft, there’s definitely a chance teams will decide to go with natural center fielders. This list includes the likes of Malik Hooker, Jamal Adams, Marcus Williams and Marcus Maye. That could further drop Peppers down the board.