Las Vegas Raiders: 3 things to help Johnathan Abram improve in 2021

By BD Williams | Jan 4, 2021

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 15: Strong safety Johnathan Abram #24 and free safety Erik Harris #25 of the Las Vegas Raiders walk off the field after warmups before their game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium on November 15, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 37-12. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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Abram needs to improve his technique heading into Year 3. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

No. 2: Abram must improve his technique

The criticisms of Abram’s coverage are warranted, however, they are incomplete. Saying Abram is bad in coverage would ignore all of the quality plays he’s made this year, though of course, you can’t say he’s good either. The truth is somewhere in between, as Abram’s problem is his consistency just isn’t NFL-caliber, even if his athleticism and range are.

For instance, Abram has a bad habit of guessing in man coverage and he will open his hips much too early, giving up big plays as a result. In Zone coverage, Abram needs to be more disciplined and make the plays as they come to him, this will help him become a better player in coverage, and put him in a position to make big plays as they happen.

In the first half of the season, Abram did just that and came away with all but one of his pass breakups in the first eight games of the season. As the season wore on, Abram’s bad habit of vacating zones and trying to cover his teammate’s man got the better of him, and when he makes a mistake, it is usually magnified due to how horrific it is.

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