Last week, the New York Giants shook the NFL with a blockbuster trade that sent superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for a couple of draft picks and safety Jabrill Peppers.
Peppers entered the pros with high expectations when the Browns selected him with the 25th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. However, the former Michigan standout has yet to cement himself as one of the best safeties in the business.
In 2018, Pro Football Focus ranked the 23-year-old as the 19th-best safety in the league, finishing the season with 79 tackles, one sack, one interception, and two fumble recoveries.
Peppers now has some pretty big shoes to fill as the replacement for All-Pro safety Landon Collins. That being said, there's bound to be some added pressure on the Jersey native's part, especially now that he's playing to win for his home state.
In a conference call on Monday (h/t NBC Sports' Josh Alper), Giants general manager Dave Gettleman had this to say about Peppers' new role as the G-Men's new starting safety.
“(Peppers) is just excited to be a Giant. It’s the team he grew up cheering for, this kid’s coming home. I don’t think he feels that pressure, and we certainly aren’t going to put that pressure on him. There is no reason for there to be that kind of pressure on him. He is coming here to be a safety, play football and help the New York Giants win games. It’s that simple.”
Words of encouragement coming from Gettleman should make Peppers' transition in East Rutherford much easier. He has plenty of time left in his NFL career to improve and become a bonafide star that Collins once was for the proud franchise, and the Giants are confident that he'll do just fine as a key part of the team's rebuilding phase beginning this year.
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