Jabrill Peppers, CB/S, New York Giants
At the start of the offseason, Tampa Bay traded starting cornerback Carlton Davis III to Detroit for a 2024 third-round pick. In free agency and the draft, the Bucs did add several notable secondary players, including strong safety Jordan Whitehead, cornerbacks Bryce Hall and Tavierre Thomas, and used the third-round pick to draft Georgia's Tykee Smith.
Coupled with the returns of superstar free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback Jamel Dean, secondary wouldn't be assumed as a position the Bucs should improve before the 2024 season. That said, Hall and Thomas have never been true stars as outside cornerbacks, and Smith is expected to play nickel-corner in Todd Bowle's defensive scheme.
While Whitehead does have experience playing corner during his time as a Jet, there isn't a better option to have play corner alongside Winfield Jr. The Buccaneers could truly use a coverage player capable of playing at both positions, something New England's Peppers has thrived in over the past few seasons.
Since being drafted by Cleveland with the No. 25 pick in the 2017 draft, Peppers has played well in a variety of different coverage roles, ranging from strong and free safety to cornerback. Through it all, Peppers has totaled 471 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 33 pass breakups, six interceptions, five forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries in 93 games (79 starts) with the Browns, Giants, and Patriots.
This past year, Peppers enjoyed a great campaign in his third season with New England. Starting in 15 games, Peppers notched 78 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, eight pass breakups, and two interceptions while allowing a 72.7 passer rating in coverage. At just 28 years old, Peppers has plenty to offer for a team like Tampa Bay in need of a playmaker in their secondary.