Top three prospects Colts could draft in first round
By Ryan Stano
Johnathan Abram is a safety out of Mississippi State. He has risen recently into the late first round conversations. Abram is mainly a guy who can come out and help in the run game as opposed to a cover guy in the secondary. But that might be what the Colts need.
Abram totaled 99 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 3 sacks in his senior year. He also recorded 2 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Those numbers indicate that he spends more time near the line of scrimmage than he does deep down the field in coverage.
The tape backs those numbers up. Abram is a hard-hitting guy who likes to stuff runners at the line of scrimmage. His run support is really where he hangs his hat. But that doesn’t mean he is a bad cover guy. His coverage skills are still above average.
If the Colts do draft Abram, they wouldn’t need him to worry about covering a whole lot. That’s why they have Malik Hooker, who is more of a centerfield roaming free safety. Abram would be able to use the skills he uses best.
The Colts still have Clayton Geathers as their starting strong safety. But he is only signed to a one-year deal and has a nasty injury history. Drafting Abram would shore up the future at the position. Or they could decide to draft this next guy along the defensive line.