Atlanta Falcons Rumors: Safety Prospect Jabrill Peppers Tests Positive for Dilute Sample
Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn really liked what they saw in Michigan's Jabrill Peppers. They even heaped some praise on the safety prospect during their pre-draft press conference last week.
Unfortunately, the league has recently informed teams that Peppers tested positive for a diluted sample at the scouting combine and that should raise a few red flags. He has an alibi, though, and it sounds a lot like Reuben Foster's.
A spokesperson for the agency that represents him told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Peppers had a history of cramping and he felt ill when he arrived in Indianapolis. Since he was the first one to work out for the linebackers and defensive backs, Peppers decided to pump himself with fluids by drinking eight to ten bottles of water.
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"He never failed a drug test in his life, nor tested positive before for any substance," the spokesperson said in the statement.
It should be noted that a diluted sample is considered a positive test in the National Football League (NFL), so Peppers will be placed in the league's substance abuse program.
Will Peppers' draft stock plummet because of this? Will the Falcons keep him on their draft board? Football fans probably won't find out until the draft, but it can go either way.
"Teams will have to figure out if or how much the Peppers news affects their evaluation of him as a prospect, and that evaluation was difficult to begin with," Yahoo Sports' Frank Schwab said in his report.
"Maybe teams won't be worried about Peppers' failed test because he has a plausible excuse and he had no known character concerns throughout his college career. But it's another layer to evaluate for one of the draft's most intriguing prospects," he continued.
Peppers is primarily a safety, but he's versatile enough to play running back and linebacker as well if needed.
