2017 NFL mock draft: Jabrill Peppers lands with Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys had unquestionably the best draft in 2016 picking franchise cornerstones Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott. Hitting on those selections opens the Cowboys up to fixing one of the league’s worst pass defenses.

Fortunately for the Cowboys, defensive back is one of the strengths of the 2017 NFL draft. That includes a handful of potential first-round picks a cornerback and a higher number of top safeties than usual. That’s good news for Blogging the Boys, our Cowboys team site. Putting in the pick is Dave Halprin, who has made picks for the Cowboys in every year of the SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft.

Halprin: We’re sticking with our board and Jabrill Peppers is highly rated and a great value at this point. Plus, he fills a need as the Cowboys lost starting safety Barry Church and backup safety J.J. Wilcox in free agency. Byron Jones is the starter at free safety, and Peppers will slide into the strong safety spot.

Peppers was forced to play out of position at Michigan last year, but playing mainly as an in-the-box safety in Dallas will allow him to use his speed to force runs back to the middle, and also be used as an occasional blitzer. He has great instincts and can be a disruptor along the line of scrimmage. His coverage skills are much better than he sometimes gets credit for; we believe he’s a well-rounded player with a high ceiling. His versatility will allow the Cowboys to move him around and find the best matchups, and he could spend some time in the slot as a corner. Plus, he’s an outstanding return man on special teams, a true weapon.

Yes, the Cowboys need pass rushers and cornerbacks, and that was a serious consideration. But the surefire first-round pass rushers were already gone, and the depth at cornerback (and lack of corners picked so far in this draft) should mean corners will be available in the next couple of rounds. It’s hard to pass up on a talent like Peppers, even if safety isn’t a premium position and Dallas already used a first-round draft pick on a safety two years ago (Byron Jones). His unique athleticism and versatility will make him a special player.

Analysis: I love this strategy. Most would say take a cornerback like Ohio State’s Gareon Conley or Tre’Davious White of LSU. Those would be good choices. But I also had Peppers as my best player available and he does fit a critical need for the Cowboys. Furthermore, the cornerback class is deeper than the safety class, so there should be a couple good ones to pick from when Dallas is back up at pick No. 60.

At noon ET our second pick of the day will be up courtesy of Acme Packing Company picking for the Green Bay Packers.