Johnathan Abram is expected to be the team’s starting strong safety entering the ’22 season, but is there a chance Duron Harmon can take his starting job down the stretch?
In the 2019 NFL draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected safety Johnathan Abram with the 27th overall pick, using the first-rounder the team acquired from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Amari Cooper. This was one of the three first-round picks Las Vegas had that year, joining the fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell, and 24th overall Josh Jacobs.
Since being drafted, Abram has held the role of the team’s starting strong safety, even to this day. The 25-year-old has taken steps each year to better his game and brings high energy to the Raiders’ secondary.
Unfortunately, even with his continuous upward trajectory, Abram still leaves a bit to be desired from his safety position.
Acknowledging this, Las Vegas’ new general manager Dave Ziegler brought in Duron Harmon on a one-year deal this off-season, to cover up some weaknesses in Abram’s game. Harmon specializes in what Abram struggles with the most, and on top of that, there’s some good history between him and a few of the Raiders’ current staff members.
Taking all of this into account, it raises an interesting question: Is there a realistic chance Duron Harmon can ascend to a starting role, taking current starter Johnathan Abram’s job? The answer is yes, and we’re going to discuss why that is.