The opinions on Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram were all over the map. Some had him as the No. 1 safety in the class, including from the likes of Mel Kiper Jr. and Daniel Jeremiah. Others had him as a Day 3 prospect, such as Pro Football Focus.
However, to get a grasp of what Abram does well, it’s crucial to look thoroughly into the context of where he “wins.” Pro Football Focus recently posted a video showing Abram’s college grades by position and compared him to Pro Bowl safety Keanu Neal:
As long as Abram is near the line of scrimmage, he should be an absolute force for the Raiders. And with the team already having Lamarcus Joyner and Karl Joseph on the roster, it’s unlikely that you will see Abram lined up as a free safety or in man-to-man coverage.
If Oakland can get a player that is anything close to Neal, they will have hit a home run with the No. 27 pick. At the very worst, expect Abram to be a special teams demon early in his career who can help on first and second down in the run game. However, he certainly has the ceiling and the athleticism to be much, much more.
