Mel Kiper Junior’s latest mock draft has some interesting picks. But Jabrill Peppers to the Dallas Cowboys takes the cake.
Mel Kiper Jr. has been doing mock drafts since they were created. He’s the godfather of predicting drafts and despite being wrong sometimes, he’s one of the smartest NFL draft minds in the world. In his latest mock draft, Kiper has the Cowboys fixing their secondary by selecting Jabrill Peppers from Michigan.
That would be one way for them to fix their secondary woes. After losing their starting strong safety and both of their starting corners, expect the Cowboys to address their secondary and pass rush in the draft. Dallas needs to come away from the draft with playmakers for their defense. Perhaps no defensive player has the intriguing upside of Peppers.
The biggest concern with drafting him is he doesn’t have a true set position. Is Peppers a linebacker or a safety? He has experience in both areas and his 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL combine puts him in the top five in both safety categories. Before drafting him, the Cowboys must address what Peppers is and if they think he’d be a fit in their defense.
However, considering his versatility, he’d likely be a fit for any defense. Peppers is listed by CBS Sports as a strong safety, but he has the instincts necessary to be a free safety. He’s a natural linebacker, so maybe strong safety is best for him. But limiting him to one position might not be a smart decision. Peppers has such a unique skill set, he could play a variety of positions. In pass packages, he could be a safety. For run packages, he could be a linebacker or strong safety.
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The Cowboys have various issues to fix with their defense. Drafting Peppers would go a long way to solving them.