Johnathan Abram expected to make huge impact on Raiders' 2020 defense

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The Raiders made two first-round draft picks last month, picking up receiver Henry Ruggs III at No. 12 overall and cornerback Damon Arnette at No. 19.

General manager Mike Mayock likes to say the Raiders had three, including one selected more than a year ago.

He’s not wrong. Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden made Johnathan Abram the No. 27 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, and then he essentially took a medical redshirt. Abram suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in his first professional game, a Week 1 victory over Denver where he got hurt early and played through injury the entire game.

Abram was a Week 1 starter expected to be a three-down player all season long, bringing a combination of speed and physicality while moving all around the defensive backfield. He’s a player you can scheme for, someone who can be a roving chess piece put in position to make all different types of plays.

He was a tone setter early in training camp, someone knocking on Gruden’s door to watch extra film and a guy who had to rachet down his practice intensity to avoid giving teammates unnecessary hits.

Abram considers last season and the injury that shortened it a learning experience that helped him grow as a person and a player. This was the first significant injury setback of his playing career, something Abram considers both a difficult stretch and a motivating factor.

“What I went through last year has only made me more eager to get back to work,” Abram said in a February edition of the Raiders Talk Podcast. “Everybody got a taste of what I could do, but it was nothing near what I’m capable of.”

The Raiders believe that to be true. Abram will be the second first-round talent to join the secondary this season along with Arnette. You can use permanent ink when adding his name to the strong safety spot, with either Damarious Randall, Erik Harris or Jeff Heath lining up alongside him.

Randall seems to be the frontrunner for that free safety gig, and he and Abram have already spent time together working out in the Las Vegas area. Some of the defensive backs are pairing up with Raiders receivers and quarterback Derek Carr on some passing drills.

While optimism surrounding Abram is sky high – so is the Mississippi State alum’s confidence – he remains an unknown commodity still looking to prove himself at the NFL level.

Having a safety capable of setting a physical tone without sacrificing coverage in the back is coveted by many teams but possessed by a select few, and Abram is certainly capable of filling such a role.

That’s why Abram is a real wild card heading into the Raiders for the 2020 season. If he plays up to vast potential, a secondary that also features Trayvon Mullen, Arnette, Lamarcus Joyner and Prince Amukamra could be pretty good. Mistakes in the back often turn into game-changing plays, so he’ll have to be steadier than what’s expected from most rookies.

[RAIDERS TALK: Listen to the latest episode]

Abram will have a year’s experience learning the defensive scheme to draw from. While players on injured reserve often train on their own, Abram stuck around the team’s Alameda complex and attended team and positional meetings whenever possible. That will help smooth his on-field transition to NFL football, which he saw little of last year in the preseason or when games started to count.

[RELATED: Abram surprises mom with house]

Training camp intrigue will focus on who wins the free safety gig or whether Arnette can be a Day 1 starter, but Abram’s development and production is as important as anything we’ll watch once teams start playing football again. Abram will be 100 percent ready to go, with a golden opportunity to make a massive mark on this Raiders defense.

“A great safety is important in every system,” Abram said. “It’s vital. Coach Gruden tells me all the time that he needs me to be a leader, to get people to rally around me and bring the energy. Sometimes people are flat. I’m always pumped up and ready to go. I bring energy all the time, and I think people respect that.”

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