East Marion grad Abram projected to go in 1st round April 25
East Marion alum Johnathan Abram has a great chance at becoming the first football player from Columbia selected in the first round of the NFL draft since Walter Payton in 1975 when the draft kicks off April 25 in Nashville.
The former Mississippi State safety is widely regarded as a Top 25 player in the draft class and is expected to be drafted late in the first round.
NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah has the Indianapolis Colts selecting Abram 26th overall in his latest mock draft, writing, “Selfishly, I would just love to see him play opposite Malik Hooker in Indy. Abram could play in the box and allow Hooker to make plays over the top.” Fellow NFL Network analyst Chad Reuter has Abram going to the Green Bay Packers 30th overall, ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Philadelphia Eagles taking him at 25 and ESPN Todd McShay also has him going to the Colts at 26.
Abram recently appeared on NFL Network and was interviewed by Brooke Cersosimo, who he told he sees himself as a “hybrid safety.”
“I’m someone who can do a little bit of everything,” he said. “I can play in the slot. I can play in the post. I can play in the box. I can pretty much do whatever you need me to do.”
Many draft analysts have pegged Abram as the best safety in draft, and it’s a distinction he likes but doesn’t want to get caught up on.
“It feels good, but I try not to get caught in that because there’s so much work that still needs to be done,” he said.
Abram also talked about his time at East Marion, expressing how being a high school quarterback made him a better safety.
“(It) allowed me to see things on the other side of the ball, like what reads the quarterbacks make, route combinations (and) route concepts. So I can see things from the other side, not just from a defensive standpoint,” he said.
Abram has been busy through the pre-draft process, visiting the Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pound ball hawk blazed a 4.45 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and plans to watch the draft from home with his family rather than attend in person.
Abram racked up 99 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five passes defended, three sacks and two interceptions as a senior for the Bulldogs in 2018.
The 2014 East Marion graduate began his career at Georgia before transferring to Jones County Junior College, where he spent one season.
As the No. 1 junior college safety prospect, Abram signed with Mississippi State and immediately became a starter and difference maker in Starkville.
Abram could not be reached for direct comment.
Pictured Above: Johnathan Abram began his collegiate career at Georgia after graduating from East Marion in 2014 but transferred to Jones County Junior College after one season. He then became the top junior college safety prospect in the country and signed with Mississippi State, where he developed into the No. 1 safety prospect in the 2019 NFL draft. | Photo courtesy of MSU Athletics
