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Slimm's 2017 Safeties (Underclassman)

Pachyderm_Wave

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1. Malik Hooker / Ohio St. / 6'1", 206 ** (#2 overall)

2. Jabrill Peppers / Michigan / 5'11", 213 (#20 overall)

3. Jamal Adams / LSU / 6'0", 214 (#38 overall)

4. Budda Baker / Washington / 5'10", 195 (#70 overall)

5. Marcus Williams / Utah / 6'1", 202 (#76 overall)

6. Josh Jones / N.C. State / 6'1", 220 (#79 overall)

7. Montae Nicholson / Michigan St. / 6'2", 212 (#82 overall)
 
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Peppers is a tremendous athlete but I'm a little leery of his goose egg in the turnover department.


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Peppers is a tremendous athlete but I'm a little leery of his goose egg in the turnover department.


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I can see it being a talking point among the draft talking heads once he declares and they begin nitpicking him. Fortunately for Peppers, turnovers don't translate. Too many DB's get overrated by the draft community because they're on the receiving end of a lot of turnovers, but don't amount to anything in the NFL. Gerod Holliman being the latest example. I think he had 14 INT's in 2014. I'll guarantee Jabrill Peppers is a better player than Gerod Holliman.

Mackenzie Alexander just had to experience the same knock. No interceptions in his career. I think you have to actually watch these kids play and see how spectacular or unspectacular their coverage abilities are. Alexander was on Sterling Shepard like glue in the Orange Bowl whenever they were matched up. Shepard was probably the best route runner in college football, and one of the most clutch receivers in the country. I had him as my top Senior wide receiver. I want to see the ability to stay in phase with the receiver more than token interceptions.

When I watch Jabrill Peppers, I see a 1st round pick. For one thing, he had an NFL body coming out of high school. This is an elite physical specimen. Furthermore, although he may not have logged an interception yet, only two safeties on this list have defended more passes than Peppers....Jamal Adams and Dominick Sanders, and only by 1.
 
Dominick Sanders makes a ton of plays in the pass game. Based on where he's being projected, he probably returns, but his current 7th RD projection on draft scout is a joke.
 
Here's Daniel Jeremiah's opinion of Malik Hooker.

"He has the best combination of range and ball skills that I've ever seen in a college safety. His anticipation and awareness is off the charts. I wasn't in Baltimore when Ed Reed was drafted, but I arrived the following year to scout for the Ravens and spent four years around the future Hall of Famer. Hooker is the closest thing I've seen to Reed seen since I've been scouting. He is also very effective in the run game. He takes proper angles and he's a reliable tackler.

I'm not alone in my opinion. Evaluators around the league rave about him and can't believe he's only been a one-year starter. He's just scratching the surface of what he will eventually become."
 
There has been kind of a push against Jabrill Peppers lately. It was a predictable one. But I don't know that it is a well founded one.

Saying that this is one of the most unique players I've ever looked at would kind of be understating things a little bit. That much should actually be obvious. It's not just that he played Wildcat QB, RB, WR, PR, KR, FS, SS, SCB, CB, WLB, and SLB. It's that he played them well. He didn't play any of those positions in a way that makes you say yeah but he basically only did it to say he did it. He added value to the team and helped win football games at all of those positions. He's one of the best return men I've seen and would step onto the Dolphins and immediately take that job from Jakeem Grant. He looks like LeSean McCoy as a running back and wildcat. Legitimately the only guy on the Dolphins I can think of that I might like to see on jet sweeps more than Jabrill Peppers is Jakeem Grant, and right now Jakeem is going through a crisis of confidence that isn't allowing his abilities to shine so really that means Jabrill Peppers would be the most attractive player on the Dolphins for those types of roles.

As a perimeter corner, his 2015 tape showed that he does have some things to work on. You know, stuff that reminds you that hey this was a true sophomore (in 2015) and perhaps he may need a little bit of work staying in phase with the receiver while looking up for the ball. But he was physical as hell, quick as hell, fast as hell, and easily stayed in the hip pocket of receivers in man coverage. And he dominated them physically without drawing penalty flags. And he played plenty of slot, and as Harbaugh stated was easily their best slot corner. He's everything you want there because of his physicality, speed, and quickness. You could draft him at this position and say yeah he's out corner opposite Xavien Howard, but perhaps even better because he could move to the slot while you have a perimeter specialist like Tony Lippett come on the field in nickel whereas Xavien Howard is perimeter only. Jabrill would be another Antoine Winfield but bigger and stronger. Or another Cedric Griffin at the least.

You have to admire what Don Brown did with him this year, playing him as his Sam. On a chess board, Jabrill Peppers would've been the queen. Put him on the strong side, and absolutely demolish any attempt at quick game. Any passes behind the line of scrimmage, screens, runs to the outside, etc. Delayed blitzes keep the QB on an egg timer at the worst of times, and at the best of times create flat out panic as this blur comes running at you ready to smack you with the force of a train. He drew extra OL attention because of his speed, opening up pass rushers to one-on-ones with favorable spacing. Or because he came on a delay, he could choose his gap and knife through at blazing speed. Lots of teams try and use a "spy" on the QB. Miami did it with Dion Jordan. The way Jabrill Peppers was used as a spy makes that look pathetic. If the QB attempted to buy any extra time, that's it. He's off to the races and SMACK. Escape the pocket, execute zone-read, throw the ball behind the line of scrimmage, you're dead at the hands of Jabrill Peppers.

But because of that unique role I think it's left some folks confused about what to do with Peppers. That's where I say you've really got to go back to the 2015 if you want to see him playing and excelling at more normal positions.

What probably makes Peppers so unique to me are his strength and his zero to sixty. The latter is one of the best I've seen and the former is certainly the best I've seen on a 205 lbs defensive back prospect. That's why he could be used in such unique ways. You could toss a Vontae Davis in at linebacker and he'd have something resembling Jabrill Peppers' speed and build. He wouldn't have quite the same acceleration and COD but the speed and build would be similar. The physicality though, even with Vontae being a pretty physical corner, just wouldn't be even close to the same. On the other hand you can toss an Aarion Penton type in at that position, real small guy but VERY fast and VERY agile, quick twitch. That all might actually be similar to a Jabrill Peppers, long speed probably even faster. But the physical strength...not in the same area code. Peppers was unique because he had the physical strength of a 235 lbs linebacker but the speed, acceleration and agility of nobody I've seen play the linebacker position.

Add into all that Jabrill Peppers' unique stamina, energizer bunny going non-stop for 60 minutes...this is just a unique player that's being over-thought.
 
There has been kind of a push against Jabrill Peppers lately. It was a predictable one. But I don't know that it is a well founded one.

I'll take it further. I think it's stupid. I just posted something about Peppers in a downballot thread before seeing this one.

I like Slimm's ordering of Hooker, Peppers, then Adams. I'm not sure I wouldn't slip someone else ahead of Adams. He's a very solid player but I don't see a great athlete or excellent instincts. At college level he gets away with lots of one-armed slap tackles to ankle level. Those better succeed in the pros otherwise it's off to the races.

Actually a player of that caliber is normally able to correct flaws in the pros. The coaching is so much better. That aspect is seldom stressed enough.

I just have to laugh when someone like Jamal Adams is touted at safety when I remember watching Kenny Easley every week at UCLA. Easley was so special that the local Los Angeles sportscast led off with Easley highlights every week, no matter who the Bruins were playing. I'm not kidding. And there was always ample supply of plays. The sportscaster in question was Stu Nahan, perhaps best remembered for his role alongside Spicoli on Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
 
I'll take it further. I think it's stupid. I just posted something about Peppers in a downballot thread before seeing this one.

I like Slimm's ordering of Hooker, Peppers, then Adams. I'm not sure I wouldn't slip someone else ahead of Adams. He's a very solid player but I don't see a great athlete or excellent instincts. At college level he gets away with lots of one-armed slap tackles to ankle level. Those better succeed in the pros otherwise it's off to the races.

Actually a player of that caliber is normally able to correct flaws in the pros. The coaching is so much better. That aspect is seldom stressed enough.

I just have to laugh when someone like Jamal Adams is touted at safety when I remember watching Kenny Easley every week at UCLA. Easley was so special that the local Los Angeles sportscast led off with Easley highlights every week, no matter who the Bruins were playing. I'm not kidding. And there was always ample supply of plays. The sportscaster in question was Stu Nahan, perhaps best remembered for his role alongside Spicoli on Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

I agree with you, Slimm, and CK. Completely different build, but he reminds me of Jalen Ramsey (also hard not to think of M. Jack) in that he made plays all over the field, from multiple positions, has elite burst and overall athleticism, but was getting/will get knocked by some for not forcing more TO's or putting up more impressive career stats. But, his instincts in the box are very good (maybe great), and he has the athleticism and physicality to match up in man coverage with WR's and TE's. I don't see anything in CK's post that I disagree with.

With time, and given his tools and instincts/competitiveness in the box, I think he would develop into a very good deep safety, as well.

Also agree that Slimm's ordering here is just about perfect. I like M. Williams a little more than B. Baker, but they're different enough that it comes down to preference. Baker is better in the box; Williams is a better deep safety.
 
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But, his instincts in the box are very good (maybe great), and he has the athleticism and physicality to match up in man coverage with WR's and TE's.

That's where I think he stands out above Adams...instincts and physicality in the box. Adams will head in the general direction but then hesitate and flatfooted freeze. That's where those one-armed slap tackles show up. He's arrived close enough, but not in perfect shape. His instincts betrayed him, along with simply not as much athletic arrogance as Peppers displays. Adams ends up flailing at the last second with the arm tackle instead of being in position for a more dependable physical tackle as Peppers manages.

Adams is a missile in chase situations with no other variables involved. But when he's turning and thinking I don't fully trust him, whether it's run or pass. I think he'll be a solid player but not a star. A guy like that could be perfect on a top team. I think he could get lost on a lesser team where some of his weaknesses show up.

Peppers should flash no matter where he ends up.

Bottom line, I like players who have been freaks from the outset. I don't like to make it too complicated. When those players are doubted at this stage, normally the skepticism is misplaced. Value arises. Take advantage of those personnel types who have adjuster qualities. The percentage won't shift from the population in general.

It is somewhat difficult for me with someone like Malik Hooker, who was not an elite recruit coming out of high school. I've noticed that when Meyer or Saban pursue a 3-star type they have an unusually high connect rate. Actually I don't understand why Rivals relegated Hooker to 3 stars to begin with. I've seen some basketball clips of awesome dunks, displaying rare agility and explosion. Meyer supposedly was sold on Hooker after attending one of those basketball games. That type of cross reference is more and more common. Pete Carroll prioritized some out of state recruits while at USC after watching their basketball games, not football games.
 
That's where I think he stands out above Adams...instincts and physicality in the box. Adams will head in the general direction but then hesitate and flatfooted freeze. That's where those one-armed slap tackles show up. He's arrived close enough, but not in perfect shape. His instincts betrayed him, along with simply not as much athletic arrogance as Peppers displays. Adams ends up flailing at the last second with the arm tackle instead of being in position for a more dependable physical tackle as Peppers manages.

Adams is a missile in chase situations with no other variables involved. But when he's turning and thinking I don't fully trust him, whether it's run or pass. I think he'll be a solid player but not a star. A guy like that could be perfect on a top team. I think he could get lost on a lesser team where some of his weaknesses show up.

Peppers should flash no matter where he ends up.

Bottom line, I like players who have been freaks from the outset. I don't like to make it too complicated. When those players are doubted at this stage, normally the skepticism is misplaced. Value arises. Take advantage of those personnel types who have adjuster qualities. The percentage won't shift from the population in general.

It is somewhat difficult for me with someone like Malik Hooker, who was not an elite recruit coming out of high school. I've noticed that when Meyer or Saban pursue a 3-star type they have an unusually high connect rate. Actually I don't understand why Rivals relegated Hooker to 3 stars to begin with. I've seen some basketball clips of awesome dunks, displaying rare agility and explosion. Meyer supposedly was sold on Hooker after attending one of those basketball games. That type of cross reference is more and more common. Pete Carroll prioritized some out of state recruits while at USC after watching their basketball games, not football games.

I like that comment.

"Athletic Arrogance."

That's good, and I think that describes Jabrill Peppers. From my standpoint, I believe people are overthinking his potential as a true safety because they haven't seen him play a true safety to this point. At the same time, I see some call Budda Baker a "center field" type of safety when the majority of the time, he is playing in the box or covering the slot.

I guess the question with him is whether he fits in Miami alongside Reshad Jones? The things you want to have Reshad doing are the things you may also want Jabrill doing, even thought Miami essentially interchanged the assignments between Reshad and IAQ in 2016. With Matt Burke becoming the DC, I'm not sure how much he is going to change the coverage schemes. I suspect that we are going to do more man to man than we did last year, which may very well mean they do want a guy that can handle the single high safety position, which to be quite honest, I don't see any athletic limitations to Jabrill Peppers that would make me think he would fail as a single high safety.
 
I don't know if I agree with Riddick but I do think Jamal Adams is legitimately a top player in this draft. I've always said that and I've seen nothing to sway me.
 
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