New York Giants Training Camp Preview - S Jabrill Peppers

The Giants finally have a safety trio on par with what they had in 2011, and Jabrill Peppers is a big part of that new group. But does he have a long-term future with the team?

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jul 7, 2021 8:00 AM EDT

Safety Jabrill Peppers appeared in 15 games for the Giants this year—he missed one game with an ankle injury—and recorded personal highs in tackles and tackles for a loss.

Peppers, per Pro Football Focus, also led the Giants safeties in stops and seemed more at home in Patrick Graham's scheme where he could fly around the field and wreak havoc.

A strong downhill safety, Peppers finished third on the team in tackles but also recorded 13 missed tackles, which was second on the team. Interestingly, Graham had Peppers in coverage (529 snaps) more than he had been the year prior (372 snaps).

Unfortunately, Peppers’ coverage was inconsistent, as his NFL rating of 94.1 rose from the 78.8 he recorded in his first season as a Giant.

What He Brings

Peppers offers many different options given his skill set and athletic abilities. Last season, he took snaps as a box safety, a slot cornerback, a free safety, and as an outside linebacker in that "STAR" role.

(In a STAR formation, there are usually four down linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs, and the "Star" is a hybrid safety role that lines up at outside linebacker in most 4-3 schemes.)

Peppers' bread and butter has been his run support, where in his last three seasons, he's recorded at least 20 stops for zero or negative yards.

According to official league stats, of Peppers' 57 solo tackles, 24 came against the run, and of his eight tackles for a loss, five were also in run support.

Per Pro Football Focus, Peppers has missed 13% of his tackle attempts throughout his career, most of these coming during attempts to close in on making the tackle from a distance.

Want more to love about Peppers' game? He attacks gaps with fire, and he's a big-time hitter who exhibits proper form in leading with his shoulder rather than his head. As evidenced by his teammates voting him as one of the captains, he is also a competitor and team leader.

He can press and run with tight ends or work in the intermediate middle part of the field with success in coverage. Having Peppers provide man coverage outside of the hash marks hasn't historically been a good idea, and he's not a classic ballhawk--he has four career interceptions and 16 pass breakups.

Where Peppers can make up for that is in his ability to create turnovers--he has forced four fumbles in his last two seasons, including three last year.

The other thing Peppers brings to the table--and which he might see a reduction in--is his punt return ability. Last year Peppers averaged 12.5 yards per return, sixth among returners with at least ten returns. But unlike the five guys in front of him, Peppers didn't have a return for a touchdown (not wholly his fault, but still a standout stat).

His Contract

Peppers is set to play out the option year of his rookie deal worth $6.77 million. His 2021 cap figure ranks 14th among safeties for 2021.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Peppers will be a part of the 53-man roster. Still, with that said, it wouldn't be a stunning development if his snap counts on defense and special teams are adjusted, as the team could be looking to see if rookie Aaron Robinson can take on some of the responsibilities Peppers currently carries.

This isn't a knock on Peppers; rather, it's more a case of planning for the future. Peppers will be an unrestricted free agent and will be looking for a nice payday.

The Giants, meanwhile, could find themselves squeezed against the salary cap when all those new deals they gave to players this year swell to astronomical heights next year, thereby making it challenging to re-sign free agents such as Peppers.

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