Dallas Cowboys Draft: Top-10 safeties and their potential fit

Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State

What’s Good: Physicality, Hand Usage

What Ain’t Good: Lateral Quickness, Passing Instincts, Over-aggression

Abram kind of looks like Tyrann Mathieu and I have no idea why I perceive him that way because they share little to no similarity in play style. Tyrann Mathieu is fantastic in coverage and Abram just isn’t… I suppose there’s probably some similarity in aggression between the two?

Abram was used in good balance, of course that didn’t maximize his effectiveness as a football player. He played in the box and fell into coverage but he looks better when blitzing or run defending. He can sniff out where the runner is and he can tackle in open space in the backfield.

He’s extremely physical, which can lead to some big hits and crucial pass break-ups. Of course, the issue occurs when he takes the wrong angle on a player and he dives shoulder first. Definitely not something I’d be happy with if Abram is my last line of defense. When he raps his arm around the ball-carrier, he rarely gets his tackles broken.

In man coverage, he doesn’t react quickly and his agility is sub par. Usually one of these traits discourage teams from selecting a defender early, but both of them co-existing is the ultimate duo.

The energy Abram brings will definitely boost the morale of a defense, especially to a young team like the Cowboys but his flaws are more detrimental to a team than those from players listed above.

Could he be a Cowboy?:

Probably not. It’s hard to predict how teams view him because he’s a bit raw and he lacks some athleticism but his physicality and run stopping ability can definitely find him at the least a niche role on teams. Realistically, the Cowboys could find him as low as the 4th round (not at the compensatory selection). Seeing how he fits the team, he might not be the best option but in the 4th round, he’d definitely be the best player available for the taking.