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Jabrill Peppers drafted No. 25 by Cleveland Browns, will return to enemy territory
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Jabrill Peppers made a lot of enemies in the state of Ohio. Now, a lot of them will turn into his biggest supporters.
The former Michigan safety was drafted No. 25 overall by none other than the Cleveland Browns. The report of Peppers’ dilute sample at the combine didn’t push him out of the first round after all.
Peppers became arguably the most polarizing player in the country because of his redshirt sophomore season at Michigan.
While some argued that he lacked production as a defensive playmaker, Peppers racked up no shortage of awards in 2016. The B1G Defensive Player of the Year won the Paul Hornung Award, as well as the Lott IMPACT Trophy. A unanimous All-American, Peppers was a Heisman Trophy finalist.
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Even though Peppers tested as both a linebacker and a defensive back at the combine, he’s expected to play safety at the next level. Peppers certainly won’t enter the league without his fair share of skeptics, especially after the dilute sample.
Before Peppers figures out his NFL role, he’ll watch plenty of his teammates come off the board. Michigan figures to have a legitimate chance to tie or break Ohio State’s record of 14 draftees in 2004.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.