The safety position has been an area of emphasis for the New Orleans Saints this offseason, with the team endeavoring to add veteran backups like former Seattle Seahawks starter Ugo Amadi and rookie draft picks like Jordan Howden to a depth chart that already features established starters in Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye.
But one of the first safeties they brought in this spring was former Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick Johnathan Abram. Why was he such a priority, and what are realistic expectations to have for him in 2023? Let’s get to know him better now that he’s upgraded from silver and black to black and gold:
A two-star recruit at safety and linebacker out of East Marion High School in Columbia, Miss., Abram initially committed to Georgia before transferring to Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss. in 2016 and finished his college career at Mississippi State, where he earned All-SEC recognition in his senior year. He accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl despite a nagging shoulder injury and impressed Raiders coaches there enough to help convince them to draft him in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft.
The Raiders selected Abram at No. 27 overall in the 2019 draft, using the pick they received from the Dallas Cowboys in the previous year’s Amari Cooper trade. Abram weighed in at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine, timing the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. He started his rookie year with some clutch plays in a win against the division-rival Denver Broncos, but suffered a season-ending rotator cuff injury. Another should surgery ended his 2021 season, too.
The Raiders waived Abram at midseason in 2022, and he initially landed with the Green Bay Packers — who waived him themselves a few weeks later. The Seattle Seahawks picked him up after that, and he started a couple of games for them to close out the season, totaling 12 tackles (8 solo) and 2 passes defensed across six games, including the playoffs. He was not re-signed after the 2022 season and joined the Saints in March on a veteran’s minimum contract.
So what are realistic expectations for Abram in 2023? It starts with making the roster. He’s competing in a crowded position group with three spots already locked in between Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye (as starters) and J.T. Gray (as the Saints’ top special teams ace). Look for Abram to compete with veterans like Ugo Amadi and Lonnie Johnson Jr. as well as younger teammates such as Smoke Monday and Jordan Howden for that fourth or fifth roster spot at safety.
But he has a good chance of making the cut. Abram is well-liked around the league as a good teammate and veteran presence (much like P.J. Williams was in recent years), and he’s a real asset in run defense, which was an area of weakness for New Orleans last season. He’s also been willing to help out on special teams. If his health holds up and he’s able to limit the mistakes in coverage, he should make this roster as an experienced backup behind Mathieu and Maye.
