Michigan Football: Jabrill Peppers To The Browns In Round One
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Jabrill Peppers is a first-round NFL Draft selection, taken by the Cleveland Brown with pick No. 25.
Peppers earned a host of awards this season, finishing fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. A consensus All-American, he also won the 2016 Paul Hornung Award as the nation's most versatile player.
Peppers recorded 72 tackles on the season, with four sacks and 16 tackles for loss, along with an interception at Ohio State. He also averaged 26.0 yards on kick returns, caught two passes for three yards and rushed 27 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
In his career, Peppers tallied 125 tackles, four sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss and 10 pass breakups.
Peppers tested positive for a diluted sample at the NFL Combine, but it did not keep him out of the first round, even when many were opining that he might slip to the second round regardless of the latest development.
ESPN commentator John Gruden noted: "I don't know [if he can be a] breakout player right away. He's adjusting to the NFL. They'll have to find a position. He played multiple roles in the Michigan defense.
"This kid will tackle you, he's a football player … the kids makes plays. The bottom line is, he's all over the field making plays. One career interception is a concern at a safety, but he didn't play safety his entire career.
"I think his versatility was great in college, and worked against him as a pro prospect, because he didn't focus … but he did a lot of positive things for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines.
Michigan hasn't had a defensive back go in round one of the draft since Leon Hall went to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 18th pick of the 2007 draft. They haven't had a linebacker taken in the first round since Mel Owens went in round 1A in 1981.
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