2017 NFL Mock Draft: Jabrill Peppers lands with Houston Texans

Jabrill Peppers is a very talented player, but the Houston Texans don’t need to draft a safety in the first round.

Bleacher Report featured columnist Kristopher Knox has released a mock draft and he has the Houston Texans using the 25th overall pick on Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers.

Knox actually has Peppers listed as a linebacker in his draft, but no one expects him to play that position at the NFL level.

Peppers is way too small at 5-11, 213 pounds to play linebacker. He’s expected to play safety in the NFL.

Peppers’ NFL.com draft profile compares him to Eric Weddle.

"The ultimate Swiss Army Knife on the collegiate level, and will likely play a hybrid role on the next level that allows him to blitz, cover and chase, Peppers’ draft value will be helped by his return ability and that is a role he should maintain throughout the earlier stages of his career. While Peppers doesn’t have the production teams expect from first-round defenders, he should benefit from a role that is more clearly defined on the next level."

Peppers would be a great pick for the Texans. He could even be an upgrade over Quintin Demps, who left in free agency.

The problem is Houston has too many other more pressing needs to take care of in the first round.

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Now if the Texans are on the clock and players like Garrett Bolles, Deshone Kizer and DeShaun Watson aren’t on the board, taking Peppers may not be a bad idea.

I know many people believe Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes would be a good pick for Houston, but I believe he should be taken in the second round because of the problems with his footwork. He’s purely a project player.

The fact of the matter is that project players like Mahomes aren’t first round picks.

A player with Peppers’ talent deserve to be taken on day one of the draft.

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