Oakland Raiders 2019 team award predictions and analysis
By Daniel Davis
Rookie of the Year: Johnathan Abram
The Raiders drafted three first-round picks in the 2019 NFL draft, including Josh Jacobs, Johnathon Abrams, and Clelin Ferrell. However valuable they are to this team, I can only pick one for this award.
The Oakland Raiders Rookie of the Year in 2019 will be Johnathon Abram. The rookie safety has the opportunity and plays on a defensive unit with a lot of talent which can help him develop his skills. Abrams played extremely well in the preseason and tried his hardest to learn whatever he could from other players on the team.
Abrams also has a passion for hitting people, which is a necessity if you’re playing safety in this league.
What makes Abrams so special is his ability to play multiple positions. He can play man-to-man, press coverage against a slot receiver, free safety and roam the field of play while watching the quarterbacks eyes, or strong safety as a fourth linebacker on third-down and short, or goal-line situations.
He can even line up over the slot receiver and pass-rush if need be.
His size and skills remind me of former Seattle safety, Earl Thomas. He’s fast, shifty, and can read coverage. What made the secondary for the Legion of Boom was Earl Thomas. Thomas could run sideline to sideline in less than five seconds and still make a play and he was almost never fooled by the play action which came to haunt the linebacker core of Seattle. Thomas was poised, patient, and a ball hawk. He knew where he needed to be and how he needed to get there.
Abrams has that talent. He can be an elite safety in this league if he continues to improve his game. I expect him to defend more than 15 passes this season, with 3-5 interceptions, and 50-60 tackles and possibly make a run for the Defensive Rookie of the Year honors of the league.