Johnathan Abram NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report for Oakland Raiders' Pick

STRENGTHS

—Play speed and strength are on 100; aggressive, violent player who loves the game and hits like a Mack truck.

—Scares offensive players with his intensity and hitting power; dominates with downhill range between the sidelines in the run game.

—Short-area burst is impressive; he closes on the ball with one-step speed and big power at the point of attack.

—Strong on the field and is able to press tight ends at the line of scrimmage or put a body on players over the middle when they run routes in his area.

—More athletic and flexible than he looks thanks to muscle tone; has the hips to open and run to the ball.

—True Alpha that coaches and teammates love and follow.

WEAKNESSES

—Shoulder injury flagged in Mobile kept him out of the Senior Bowl.

—Ejected for targeting foul in 2018 (UMass game); can get too aggressive at times.

—Limited ball skills and will be typecast as a box safety who doesn’t play over the top in coverage; very limited experience in deep coverage.

—Allows a high number of receptions when in man or zone coverage; instincts and awareness are low when tracking the ball.

Jonathan Abram Jr. NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report, Grade for Raiders Rookie

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OVERALL

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, he’s the answer to many of the issues defenses are facing. Abram’s ability to be an eraser in the run game while showing the athleticism to develop in coverage makes him a top-50 target.

GRADE 6.95 (ROUND 2—ROOKIE STARTER)

PRO COMPARISON: Keanu Neal