Is Jabrill Peppers The Next Deion Sanders?

Storyline: Jabrill Peppers is a product of our age. Our place in time has made this linebacker/quarterback/running back/ defensive back a star and, quite likely, a first round draft pick. But….

We live in a highlight world. Snapchat lasts for nothing more than ten seconds, but it dominates the planet. Instagram videos are 15 seconds long and attract more viewership (and revenue) than mainstream TV.

Jabrill Peppers is a product of that world, our place in time. It made this linebacker/quarterback/running back/ defensive back a star and, quite likely, a first round draft pick.

Courtesy: Sports Illustrated

Peppers, in a word, is electrifying. He’s lightning fast, explosive, and exciting.

But wait? How many National Championships have ‘electrifying players’ won? How many Super Bowl rings do ‘electrifying players’ have?

Peppers is a great player, no doubt. But if I’m a NFL GM, then I’d keep Jabrill Peppers off my boards and keep his name out of my War Room.

Really?!

Yes. I know that’s a harsh conclusion, especially when you look at what Peppers has accomplished to date. Peppers dominated track in high school and won four consecutive state championships before taking his talents to the University of Michigan.

Raw speed and strength are natural gifts. But here’s the thing: whilst being wonderful gifts at the high school and college levels, those abilities alone don’t always translate to NFL success.

Here’s another thing. Highlights come easily when the opponent is Hawaii or Central Florida or Rutgers. Michigan beat those teams by a combined margin of 192-17. But Peppers doesn’t always perform well against top-line opponents, like Ohio State. That’s where (for me at least) Peppers’ wheels start to fall off.

Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

Against Ohio State, Peppers recorded seven tackles and had one INT. Not bad, but Peppers’ INT was luck, caused by a great play from a teammate and JT Barrett’s ineptitude. And on the final play in OT (an OSU TD), Peppers couldn’t get his mitts on Curtis Samuel, who waltzed untouched into the end zone.

Obviously, Michigan’s loss doesn’t solely fall on the shoulders of Peppers. But for someone being talked up as Ed Reed, Deion Sanders, and Earl Thomas all rolled into one, it’s a play I expect him to challenge, if not make.

An 80-yard punt return against Rutgers is one thing. An open-field tackle against Ohio State is another. It’s the play that decided UM’s playoff fate.

Peppers is on a long list of highlight players that won the Paul Hornung Award and dazzled ‘highlight’ folk across the country. However, versatility isn’t something that translates into guaranteed NFL productivity.

Eagle-eye members of the draft media have noticed that Peppers doesn’t specialize in excellence. His value is as a ‘jack of many trades’ he plays many positions generally well, but no position really well. Peppers isn’t a ball-hawking safety. Peppers isn’t a side-line-to-sideline LB, batting down passes, sacking quarterbacks, and consistently stopping the run. And his offensive range is as Wildcat QB and serviceable runner.

While I’ll admit that Jabrill Peppers can jump out of the gym and go toe-to-toe against almost any player for straight-up speed, I want more. Give him a tackle to make or a 50/50 pass over the middle to break up and just look at what happens all too often.

Courtesy: Bleacher Report Media Lab

I also question Peppers’ desire to win–to succeed against all odds and selflessly devote himself to “the team.” His decision to sit out the Orange Bowl for “hamstring soreness” waves red flags. It seemed to me that the flare-up came right after Florida State brought out an angry Dalvin Cook.

So I’d be worried as a GM looking for a leader in my secondary. My take is that he won’t change a secondary like LSU’s Jamal Adams could. And his ability to break-up pass plays is nothing compared to Ohio State’s Malik Hooker.

Because this draft is strong in many areas I’d draft a fundamental player in all of my areas of need. I wouldn’t spend a draft pick on Peppers.

Sure, Peppers could prove me wrong. His ceiling–thanks to unreal athletic skills–gives him a chance to be great. He could be the next Deion Sanders. And I have no doubt he’ll go into the ’17 Draft with hype on his side. He’ll blaze the turf at the NFL Combine. Many teams will see Peppers as a player who can unite a secondary, re-light a defense, or perhaps even change a losing culture.

But I just don’t see it that way. My prediction is that Peppers will be nothing more than a gloried NFL return man–more of a Devin Hester-type than “Prime Time” reborn.