Summary

Jabrill Peppers was selected int he 1st Round (#25 Overall) in the 2017 Draft out of University of Michigan. Peppers is a highly athletic and versatile defender with the ability to impact the game in multiple ways — run support, zone coverage, hybrid alignment. His standout traits are his flexibility, speed, physicality, and football IQ. His main limitations are his size for certain roles, some coverage consistency issues, limited elite volume in turnovers historically, and availability concerns in recent years. In the right system, he still adds significant value; while his peak may have passed compared to his younger years, he remains a formidable piece for a defense that uses him wisely.

Strengths

• Versatility and position flexibility: Peppers has the athletic tools to play multiple roles: deep safety, box safety, slot coverage, even some linebacker‑type assignments. He offers value in scheme flexibility — able to move around, handle different coverage and run support duties. Pats Pulpit

• Athleticism, speed & burst: He possesses strong straight‑line speed, change‑of‑direction, and closing burst to impact plays both in run and pass. His range allows him to cover ground sideline‑to‑sideline and make plays in space. Pats Pulpit

• Physicality and run support: Despite being undersized for some safety/LB hybrids, Peppers plays with physical intent: he contributes in run‑defense, fills gaps, and makes tackles downhill. His ability to make tackles, disrupt plays, and show up near or at the line adds to his value.

• Instincts & ball‑skills in certain areas: While not elite as a turnover machine early, he does show awareness, ability to track the ball, and make contested plays. He can be a tone‑setter: recognized as a team captain in New England and praised for communication and leadership. Pats Pulpit

Weaknesses

• Size / ideal frame concerns: At about 5′11″ and ~213 lbs, his size is below what many would prefer for a full‑time box or in‑the‑thick safety role. This can limit his ability to consistently contend with bigger tight ends, large‑bodied receivers, or powerful blockers. His arm length and reach are not dominant relative to some opponents, which can affect tackling or disengagement.

• Coverage weaknesses, especially in press or deep man roles: Some reports note that he can be late diagnosing routes, especially in deep zones, and occasionally gives up separation or misreads. He is better in zone or match‑up‑based coverage than as a full‑time top corner‑type safety or purely man‑covering specialist. FOX Sports

• Inconsistent playmaking / takeaway production: Early in his career there were questions about his turnover production — while he has many tackles and good plays, the number of interceptions and forced fumbles were relatively modest for a top prospect. Sometimes his aggressiveness downhill or attempt to make big plays can take him out of position.

• Durability & off‑field/distraction concerns: In recent seasons his availability has been impacted by injuries and other issues (such as a league suspension/exempt list stint due to some legal hot water in 2024) which raises concerns about consistency of availability. As a veteran, age and wear may be factors moving forward.

Fit & Outlook

Peppers projects as a very useful veteran safety/hybrid defender whose value comes in flexibility and physical play rather than pure elite cover‑corner skill. His best roles include intermediate‑to‑deep zone safety with run‑support responsibilities and as a match‑up tool against tight ends or larger receivers, or playing in a scheme that uses multiple safeties. He has not featured much since his move to Pittsburgh, but if he maintains health and fit, he can remain a starting safety for several years. If not, he may be more of a “role player” in schemes that emphasize his strengths (versatility, run‑support, leadership) rather than expecting him to cover every elite receiver one‑on‑one all game.