General manager Mike Mayock is apt to say the Raiders head into 2020 with a trio of first-round selections. But this is more than just the hackneyed GM mumbo jumbo. Joining much-ballyhooed wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (No. 12 overall) and eyebrow-raising cornerback Damon Arnette (No. 19) is 2019 No. 27 overall selection Johnathan Abram.
No ifs, ands or buts, Abram must be the Raiders’ enforcer in 2020 and beyond
The days of being the “enforcer” in now an era of player safety, are gone. What I’m concerned about Abram:
-Will his surgerically shoulder hold up to hits?
-Can he make hits that are within the rules, and not get 15 yard penalties?
-Does he have the speed to cover in the secondary?
-Can he back up his smack talk with productive football?
Lots of questions on Abram. Last year we only saw him for one half of football. I think we saw more of him on Hard Knocks then actually on the football field.
So far, IMO, Mr. Abram talks a great game but hasn’t backed it up. The “most important ability is availability”, as Coach Gruden likes to say. Next, consistency is huge: making good to great plays in practice and in games, day after day, week after week. Finally, Mr. Abram should stop talking big and start listening intently to those around him. The jury is out on this young man.
I like the brashness of Abram, but as Ghost and Max say, there are questions about him. We only saw a part of one game of him before his season ending injury. Can he avoid injuries with his style of play?