33 selections had been made during the sixth round of the most recent NFL Draft before the Baltimore Ravens made Aeneas Peebles the 210th player taken overall. 25 interior defensive linemen heard their names called before the two-time All-Acc nod did. Simply put, the old saying held. The selection meeting is a crap shoot and an inexact science.
How are things going for the rookie, you ask? Well, they’re going quite well, actually. Thank you! The third-day draftee has been praised both internally and by national media members in passing.
Advertisement
Following a nice spring and summer and some nice work in the preseason, Peebles’ skill set has translated nicely to the professional level and regular season. Following Week 1 action, he landed a spot on Pro Football Focus’s NFL Week 1 Rookie Team of the Week. What did he do for an encore? How about a 71.6 grade and his second appearance on the team in as many weeks?
“Peebles made this list last week almost strictly based on his pass rushing. But, his outing in Week 2 was more balanced, as he recorded 65.0-plus PFF grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. He secured a 14.3% pass-rush win rate, including a pressure, while adding a run stop.”
If you’re trying to measure Peebles’ value by measuring his statistical production, some of this may not seem very clear.
He has tallied one tackle and one pass breakup on 34 defensive snaps, but he’s affecting the game and doing what his coaches need him to. Ignore the numbers. He’s off to a great start.
Trust us when we tell you that. Peebles needs to focus only on his assignment within Zachary Orr’s scheme. The splash plays will come, and when they do, Ravens fans who may still be unaware will be treated to a pleasant surprise that the rest of us were made aware of a while ago.
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens draft-day bargain keeps proving worthy of an elite mention