Apt comparisons for Jabrill Peppers aren’t easy to find, because the former Michigan star can do so many different things on a football field. But New England Patriots CB Logan Ryan believes he has one: teammate Patrick Chung.
2017 NFL DRAFT
"He’s a versatile piece that makes us go," Ryan said of Chung, per The Detroit News. "We all have to be versatile, but he’s the one they ask to do the most and he just takes it in stride. He does it extremely well. He’s not the one to say it, but I watch that kid out of Jersey, Jabrill Peppers, and I’m like, ‘Pat, you’re doing the same thing at this level. Doing some safety, some linebacker stuff, coverage stuff, he catches punts.’ Pat is an extremely good athlete. He doesn’t get a lot of credit for that."
Ryan is more than casually familiar with Peppers. He has closely followed Sultanbet Peppers’ career — both are from New Jersey — and Ryan considers him the best player ever from the state.
Peppers won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player this year, and elected to enter the 2017 NFL Draft as an underclassman. Over the last two years, he played everywhere from cornerback to safety to linebacker in the UM defense, plus kick returns and even an offensive role. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, never one to hold back on a colorful description, once likened Peppers’ versatility to baseball legend Willie Mays.
Perhaps Ryan and Chung will get to see Peppers up close. NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein projects the Patriots to select him at the end of the first round in his initial mock draft. Analyst Daniel Jeremiah places his value squarely in that range, ranking Peppers the No. 33 player available. New England coach Bill Belichick certainly values players who can perform multiple roles. Who can forget Troy Brown’s successful conversion from wide receiver to defensive back?
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
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