Denver Broncos select Missouri Kris Abrams-Draine with the 145th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Denver Broncos select Missouri cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine with the 145th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Adding to our secondary.
Welcome to #BroncosCountry, @KD1ERA! pic.twitter.com/3y14s87Pdx
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) April 27, 2024
Kris Abrams-Draine is a 5-11, 179-pound cornerback out of Missouri who is now joining the Denver Broncos. He ran a 4.44 40-time at the Combine, had a 33.5-inch vertical jump, and will add some much-needed depth to the Broncos secondary.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Abrams-Draine ranked as his 15th-best overall cornerback in the draft and had a 3rd-4th overall grade on him.
A three-year starter at Missouri, Abrams-Draine played mostly outside cornerback in former defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s split-coverage scheme (81.7 percent of his 2023 snaps came out wide). After pacing the Tigers in ball production as a sophomore and junior, he led the SEC in passes defended as a senior and was one of just four FBS players with at least 16 passes defended and four interceptions in 2023. At his best in off coverage, Abrams-Draine trusts his eyes/instincts to pattern match and react with terrific plant-and-drive quickness. He stays composed with his back to the football, although he can be outmatched by bigger, more physical pass catchers downfield. Overall, Abrams-Draine will fall below the size/strengththresholds for several NFL teams, but he is a light-footed athlete who competes his tail off and anticipates well to position himself for ball production. He projects as a rotational c ornerback at the next level, but he might find a permanent home in the slot.
He played a total of four seasons at Missouri and was a productive player for their defense during his time with them. During his four seasons, he totaled 136 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss, 7 interceptions, and 34 pass deflections. This past season, he totaled 51 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, 4 interceptions, and 1 interception.
Now he joins a Denver Broncos cornerback room that is led by Patrick Surtain II followed by veteran Levi Wallace, slot corner Ja’Quan McMillian, and young corners Riley Moss, Dammari Mathis, Art Green, and others.
He will likely compete for a role on defense this offseason and potentially for the starting job with Levi Wallace, Riley Moss, and Dammari Mathis. I like this addition and the Broncos needed some depth at cornerback.