Johnathan

Abram

Abram (5’11/205) made four starts as a true freshman at Georgia in 2015, left the program for personal reasons, spent a year in JUCO, then exploded for 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and two picks across 18 starts with the Bulldogs. Experienced at slot corner, safety, and nickel/dime back, Abram is a straight-linish downhill safety in the Landon Collins mold with plus open-field speed (4.45 forty) and tone-setting physicality best employed near the box.

Abram (5'11/205) doesn’t seem like a lock to be the first safety off the board with a bunch of safeties grouped together around the Round 1/2 turn, but he might be the favorite. A “throwback” safety with tons of physicality, Abram also has a modernness to his game as he lined up in the slot on 40 percent of his defensive snaps in 2018. His versatility and tone-setting style have brought him into the Round 1 discussion.

“Abram might be a bit of a throwback at safety, but as NFL teams adapt to the current style of teams, and as more running quarterbacks take the field,” Miller writes, “he’s the answer to many of the issues defenses are facing.” The Jets, Chargers, Bucs, Cowboys and Rams are among the teams that have shown interest in the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Abram, who could potentially go off the board as early as the tail-end of the first round.

Abram (5'11/205) was a versatile defender as he also lined up in the box 26 percent of the time, on the defensive line 5 percent of the time, and at free safety 39 percent of the time. He also allowed a 76 passer rating on targets and recorded 23 total stops last season. Abram is known as one of the hardest hitters in this class and is expected to be drafted around the 1/2 turn.

They are with the Jets, Chargers, Bucs, Cowboys, Cardinals and Rams. All six of these teams have a pick near the Round 1/2 turn and that’s exactly where we expect Abram to fly off the board. Considered the hardest hitter in the class, Abram (5'11/205) has been compared to Falcons S Keanu Neal, who was selected 17th overall.

The coach calls Abram a “tweener” at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, but believes that Abram’s mentality and approach will allow him to “figure it out” at the pro level. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller sees a late first-round selection or early second-round selection, here, and has tagged him as the hardest hitter in the 2019 draft class. Or as NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein phrased it, the Mississippi State product is an “intimidating striker.”

Miller previously noted that Abram (5'11/205) is the hardest hitter in the class. He performed well in the 40-yard dash (4.45) at the NFL Scouting Combine, but struggled in the vertical jump (33.5) and broad jump (9.67) which resulted in just a 37th percentile athletic SPARQ composite score. Abram recorded 53 solo tackles as a senior and as Miller notes, will likely be a fringe 1st round selection in the NFL Draft.

We won’t disagree, especially if it’s to Abram’s face. NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein has called “intimidating striker” and most believe that he’ll be a noticeable force in the middle of the field up in the pros. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Abram ran the forty in a quick 4.45 seconds, which solidified his status as a Day 2 prospect. Among combine invitees, Abram finished tied for third in solo tackles (53).

Zierlein notes that the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Abram is “very tough and competitive” and an “intimidating striker.” The analyst is additionally keen on his short-area athleticism in underneath man coverage. More critically, Zierlein writes that Abram shows some stiffness on film and that his aggressive, occasionally reckless playing style can lead to missed tackles. Abram largely opted not to take part in combine testing, but did put in a nice run of 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Abram (5'11/205) had one of the best runs of any safety, which was nice to see after the former Bulldog stalwart had to miss the Senior Bowl due to an undisclosed injury. He also participated in the broad jump, but the 116-inch mark was the seventh-worst of any defensive back. Still, the speed was apparent on Monday, and that time should keep him in the second-round discussion.