Articles

by Craig J. Santucci @NYGiantsRush

Jabril Peppers was just as excited to be traded the New York Giants as the fan base was that he was going to play for their team. It was a perfect match. Peppers was a local kid from East Orange, New Jersey, and New York Giants needed a safety desperately.

There were many reports in 2019 that the defensive backs were confused by the scheme that former DC James Bettcher implemented. On occasion Peppers looked out of position and then on some defensive series you could see Jabril Peppers was about to break out and be the playmaker the Giants traded for.

Peppers is not known to be an in-the-box thumper like Landon Collins but a refreshing, well-rounded player and with the right coaching could be a pro bowl talent. He showed on many occasions in 2019 that he can read his defensive “keys” and make plays in the passing and run game. The endzone pass deflection against the Redskins comes to mind.

The Numbers: 2018 vs. 2019

Jabril pepper only played 11 games for the Giants before getting hurt. However, let’s dive into the numbers. In just 11 games Jabril Peppers almost matched his performance from 2018 with the Cleveland Browns.

  • 2018 (Browns) 16 games | 79 Tackles | 5 PD | 1 INT | 0 FF | 3 FR
  • 2019 (Giants) 11 games | 76 tackles | 5 PD | 1 INT (TD) | 3 FF | 0 FR

In 11 games with a Defensive Coordinator who was in-over-his-head, a flawed system, limited pass rush, and inexperienced defensive backs, Peppers showed you he has room to grow. With a new coaching staff, the signing of James Bradberry, a second-year for Baker, the secondary will be improved.

The Cavilary: Rock, Paper, Scissors

Combining Peppers with Julian Love and rookie Xavier McKinney will allow the Giants to implement a very potent 3 safety look. The potential of having McKinney in the box covering Tight Ends or Peppers blitzing from the corner are all possibilities. All three are very rangy safeties, that can tackle and will cover a lot of ground behind Blake Martinez.

The Peppers camp has been quiet on his recovery from a back injury; however, no news is good news. The expectations are high for Peppers; however, he should feel secure after the Giants picked up his option year.

You could see Peppers have fewer tackles with McKinney in the fold, but see his interceptions and sacks increase. It will be fun to watch 2020 with a refreshing new look of…Rock (McKinney), Paper (Love), Scissors (Peppers).