The New York Giants (3-8) will host the New England Patriots (2-8) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Sunday.
That, of course, provides those of us here at Giants Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Patriots’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades for Big Blue.
In looking over New England’s depth chart, they are surprisingly low on talent for a Bill Belichick team. Some of the few options include offensive tackle Trent Brown, linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Matthew Judon, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and that’s about it. There’s not a whole lot of meat on this bone.
But there is one other player on Belichick’s roster who could help the Giants and he’s a familiar face: Safety Jabrill Peppers.
The Giants have been solid but unspectacular at safety this season and the future of Xavier McKinney is a bit cloudy. Jason Pinnock has also played quality football at times and Dane Belton provides depth, but none of these players really scream, “game changer!”
Peppers may not be that guy, either, but he is playing some of the best football of his career. Through 10 games this season, he’s recorded 59 tackles (40 solo, four for a loss), one QB hit, one forced fumble, six passes defensed and one interception.
The 28-year-old has become a defensive leader in New England and his 85.9 Pro Football Focus grade is the fourth-highest among safeties this year.
At the mid-season mark, Patriots Wire also named Peppers the team’s Most Valuable Player, which speaks volumes about how well he’s playing in his second season up in Foxborough.
Peppers has piled up 59 total tackles, and he also leads the team with six pass deflections. He has done more than enough to earn the MVP nod at the midway point of the season. His ability to make plays regardless of the circumstances around him is a big reason why every game doesn’t end in the Patriots being blown out.
The former Giant would look good in blue once again and at the level in which he’s playing, would be a nice upgrade to an already talented (although inconsistent) Wink Martindale defense.
What are your thoughts, Giants fans? Would you pick Jabrill Peppers or would you steal an entirely different player from the Patriots?
