2017 Official Draft Thread - Round 1

[OhioBolt]

Adams is a better S now and I'd love to have him. But Peppers is a better football player because he does so much so well. Once he concentrates on SS, he has a higher upside IMO.

Re-watch the Ohio State game Peppers didn't make plays in key situations the one interception he had was thrown right at him. I know it is just one game but it was a big game. In 3 seasons he has 3 sacks, one interception, and 11 passes defended there are guys that put those numbers up in a season. Peppers does has good return numbers in KR & PR. Count me as one who would pass on him.

[Fleet]

[richpjr]

Carolina's win helped our draft position. Looks like we are currently picking 8th.

[Steve]

Hes not a good coverage safety. Hes very stiff. Gets lost. Hes best near the line of scrimmage. Thats why he plays OLB the majority of the time. He will most likely be a moneybacker in the pros. We sort of have that in Brown. We need a coverage guy who can also play in the box. Adams is better all around imo. And this comparison i see for Peppers calling him the next Woodson is a joke. Its only because he can play offense and special teams so well. Hes nowhere near as good in coverage. Id rather move Brown to SS and draft another MLB. I want a pure safety stud. If Hooker comes out he will be my top rated Safety. I see Ed Reed in him. Id rather have Addae with a stud FS than Peppers with Lowery.

Sorry im just not buying the peppers hype. Nowhere near the prospect that Ramsey was.

Peppers is easily the best athlete in CFB. I actually wouldn't say he doesn't have coverage skills. He doesn't get used muhc in pass coverage and even then people won't throw at him.

He is a terrible FS type of player. The few plays he is used that way (that I have seen), he takes bad angles and is late. I don't think you can say he can't, because almost every snap he lines up as a slot CB or LB. He only plays a handful of snaps as a S.

As a LB, he is really raw. He uses his shoulders, not his hands to shed blocks. He has great speed, but is a poor tackler. He likes to hit, but he misses a lot of tackles.

If I was thinking about drafting him, I think using him as a nickle DB would be the way to go, then move him to CB. He lines up in man to man coverage a lot, has speed and is a great athlete. But he is a project at any position. You might even want to move him to offense. But he is not going to have a big rookie year, unless it is as a jack of all trades type. He is going to have to learn an offensive postion. He is a lot like Myles Jack was last year.

[Fleet]

Yeah i just dont think id go after a project like that with such a high draft pick. Lots of "Best athletes in the draft" have done nothing in the pros. Id like a true Safety. Someone ready to roll week one with a high football IQ and great coverage skills. As well as the ability to be dominant on special teams. I just think Adams is a better Safety prospect. We need a Safety. And if Hooker comes out ill end up putting him above both Peppers and Adams. Maybe hes better on the boundary but from what ive sen across the middle he gets a little erratic with his whereabouts.

I want a true Safety. Eric Berry type. Or even better Polamalu. Who he has been compared to.

[Formula 21]

From his seamless transition to linebacker, to his team being undefeated, to his darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidacy, Jabrill Peppers hasn't had much to complain about this season.

And there's no reason for the Michigan star to complain about this, either: An NFC personnel executive has projected him as a top-five draft choice and compared him to former Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu.


College Football 24/7 Hot Topics:
Who'll end up with draft's top pick? Top 10 Heisman candidates for 2017 Tracking underclassmen intentions for draft 2016 bowl schedule
"He's a top five pick in my mind," the executive told NJ.com. "He's unbelievable. He's the most versatile player I've ever scouted. He does it all for (Michigan). I think at our level, he's a safety, he reminds me of Troy Polamalu. I don't think I'd use him on offense. He could be a good return man for you, though. What he is, is just a phenomenal athlete. But he's more than that, because he's tough and he's smart, too."

Another NFL scout compared the versatile Peppers to former NFL star Charles Woodson, who retired after last season, while a third scout holds the redshirt sophomore in higher regard than the Jacksonville Jaguars' 2016 first-round pick, Jalen Ramsey.

"He's better than Jalen Ramsey, so there's that," the scout said. "He's a safety, but you can match him up if you want. He can take on the better tight ends, Jordan Reed man to man. You can put him in the slot. You can blitz him, play him deep. He's going to be a difference maker for a defense.''

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein has compared Peppers to Arizona Cardinals star Tyrann Mathieu.

Ramsey, from Florida State, was the No. 5 overall pick by Jacksonville. Ramsey's ability to play multiple positions in the secondary was among the driving factors in his draft value. At the college level, Peppers has been even more versatile than Ramsey, playing throughout the secondary last year, but more at linebacker this season, along with return duties and occasional action on offense.

Peppers could be eligible for the 2017 NFL Draft if he applies for and is granted early draft eligibility after the season.

Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.

[Formula 21]

Kiper ranks Jabrill Peppers No. 1 safety in draft
Angelique S. Chengelis , The Detroit News 5:36 p.m. EST December 8, 2016
636168055479032232-2016-1029-dg-UM0600.jpg
(Photo: David Guralnick, Detroit News)
Michigan’s versatile Jabrill Peppers might not fit into every defensive coordinator’s dream scenario, but ESPN analyst Mel Kiper has no doubt he will be a top pick in the NFL draft.

Peppers, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, winner of the Hornung Award for the most versatile player in the game and the Big Ten’s triple-award winner as top defensive player, linebacker and specialist, has not yet declared whether he will pursue the NFL after this season.

But in the likelihood he will move to the next level, Kiper has Peppers, who played a hybrid-linebacker role this fall among this many positions – he also played on offense and returned kicks – ranked as the No. 1 safety, just ahead of LSU’s Jamal Adams.

“Every defensive coordinator, he’s not going to fit what they’re doing,” Kiper said Thursday on an ESPN NFL draft conference call. “There are going to be some in the league that are gonna say, ‘Ah, that’s too high to put him up in the top five, top 10,’ others are going to say, ‘Hey, he’s Deone Bucannon, he’s perfect for what we want.’

“There’s a role in certain defenses with Peppers that won’t be with others. This is going to be a case some will (like Peppers), some won’t, because he’s not going to fit what everybody does and they won’t be able to creatively find a way to maximize all that talent. I still think he’s in the top-10, top-15 overall, but if you talk to certain people they might say that’s too high and it would be for that reason.”

[Fleet]

Oh well since you posted articles to counter my argument regarding Peppers you win. It all must be true. And these guys who write them are never wrong. Especially Kiper. lol

I like Peppers. I think hes versatile. I think he has a role. But i dont want a player that im not even certain where to use him. Is he a pure Saftey? I just dont think he would hold up against big WRs in this league. Or elite TEs. Adam's has also played the slot and CB. Better as a pure coverage guy. And deadly in the box. Big hitter. Some say hes a bigger Honeybadger. I see some Polamalu/Berry in him. He is being overshadowed by Peppers and i think they are at the very least close. Just because of his offensive prowess and return abilities i tend to think he is a tad overhyped. Shaq Thompson was also way overhyped. I wouldn't be shocked if Peppers dropped some and Adams climbed. LSU has a knack for producing great DBs.

I just like Adams better. You guys dont need to try and sell Peppers to me by posting articles. I always go by my own interpretation. What i see on film. I wont even search google for "pro-Adams" articles to counter with. And as far as Peppers being the best athlete in the draft? Its possible. But ive never been a guy to fall in love with measurables. 40 times etc. I want high IQ smart ball players who are consistent.

If he comes out the best athlete in the draft will be IMO Adoree Jackson.

[Formula 21]

Actually, my preferred option would be for Ramczyk to do so well in the bowls and combine that he moves into the top 10. Then we could take him with the thought that he has a big upside.

And I'd be happy with Adams too.

[OhioBolt]

Actually, my preferred option would be for Ramczyk to do so well in the bowls and combine that he moves into the top 10. Then we could take him with the thought that he has a big upside.

And I'd be happy with Adams too.

I would also be very happy with either one of these picks!!!!!!

[Steve]

Kiper tends to go based on where he thinks a player will be drafted. His ranking Peppers as the top S, just means he think Peppers will be the 1st S taken. That is because he is a great athlete. If he is saying he is the best S skill wise, he needs to get his eyes checked, because he hasn't played S enough to really evaluate there.

If we want a player to come in and play early (and well), then we need to look elsewhere. Peppers could easily be the best player in this draft, but do we have the time and energy to develop him? A guy like Adams may not be a perfect fit as a NFL S (playing deep in the secondary), but the guy comes into the NFL with a lot of position specific skills, and experience to build on. Peppers will literally have to learn everything about being an NFL (fill in position here).

To me Peppers could also be one of the top CB, WR or name your other position prospects. He is not going to be big enough to play in the box as a LB in the NFL. He is going to have to learn to play in the NFL. And a lot of the best athletes never make the transition. The guys who make the quickest transitions to the NFL are guys who have position specific skills. Bosa had a very quick transition because he played the position the way a lot of NFL DE do, and he has refined his game some, but is just working on getting better at things he already did well (for a college guy).

I haven't decided on how much I like Adams, but I would rather someone else take the risk on Peppers. Adams I still want to go back and watch some before I am totally sold on, in either direction.

But historically, a lot of top S's have come from the 2nd and 3rd round. I don't think just because a guy has a 1st round grade means we have to jump at the guy to fill that need.

[Fleet]

Long lean and twitchy. Watch the film. Reminds me of Sean Taylor. And hasnt come close to his potential. Great ball skills. Flies to the ball and ball carrier. Active deep. Stays with WR,s and TEs. Yet is active behind the LOS. All over the place. Team leader. Serious leader for a strong program.