Jabrill Peppers runs 4.46 40-yard dash at NFL Combine

Jabrill Peppers is one of the more intriguing draft prospects his year, and he did not disappoint during the 40-yard dash.

By any position label, Jabrill Peppers is a talented football player. The Michigan product played safety and linebacker while returning kicks during his college career, and he was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2016.

Peppers said he considers himself to be a safety, with size (5-foot-10, 213 pounds) befitting it, and that is sure to be his position at the next level. But since he shifted to linebacker for his final season in Ann Arbor he is listed at that position for the NFL Combine, and he worked out with the linebackers and defensive backs in Indianapolis.

The linebacker prospects are hitting the field for drills on Sunday, and Peppers took his turn in the 40-yard dash with the expectations of a fast time. He did not disappoint.

Peppers set the pace for the linebacker group with an unofficial 4.47 40, then went ahead and bested that time with his second run.

It’s almost unfair for the rest for the linebackers to compete with Peppers in the 40-yard dash, since he’s far lighter than everyone else. But his 40 time will surely also compare favorably to the fastest defensive backs this year.

Multiple teams at the combine have reportedly asked Peppers about playing running back or slot wide receiver, which further points to how unique a prospect he is.

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Mike Mayock of NFL Network astutely pointed out on Sunday that the NFL is a matchup league, and Peppers is a “matchup player.” The ways he can be used are only limited by the imagination of his coaching staff at the next level, even if he will play most of his snaps at safety.