2024 NFL Scouting Report: Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft takes place, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Missouri CB Kris Abrams-Draine.

#7 KRIS ABRAMS-DRAINE, CB, MISSOURI – (R-JUNIOR) 5113, 173 POUNDS

Senior Bowl Invite

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has good play speed and burst for the position
— Can close on the football quickly to impact the catch point
— Has the speed to carry receivers vertically down the field
— Possesses the leaping ability and arm length to challenge jump balls
— Will get hands on receivers in press-man coverage to throw them off their route
— Can transition from a backpedal to turn and run with receivers fluidly
— Willing tackler who will throw himself into ball carriers at full speed
— Has experience playing both in the slot and on the boundary
— Does a good job playing through receivers’ hands at the catch point
— Former receiver background shows up when fighting for the football
— Has the hands to secure interceptions
— Has kick return experience with the speed to be a threat on special teams

THE BAD

— Has a thin frame that could stand more functional mass and strength
— Will get overpowered at the catch point on occasion by bigger receivers
— Lack of size leads to him getting run through as a tackler on occasion
— Will allow receivers to stack him vertically down the field
— Can struggle at times maintaining proper positioning and staying in-phase in coverage
— May get pegged as a slot-only corner due to lack of ideal weight

BIO

— Redshirt junior from Mobile, Ala.
— Born Oct. 4, 2001 (age 22)
— Attended Spanish Fort High School, played wide receiver before switching to quarterback his senior year
— Committed to LSU and Ole Miss verbally before signing with Missouri
— Three-star recruit, according to Rivals
— Played in five games as a wide receiver in 2020, totaling one rush for three yards and two catches for four yards
— Transitioned to defensive back in 2021 and played in all 13 games with 10 starts; made 37 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, seven pass deflections, three interceptions, and had 484 kick return yards with a 100-yard return for a touchdown
— Started in 12 games in 2022 and made 48 total tackles (31 solo) 14 pass deflections; also had 99 kick return yards on six attempts
— Started 13 games in 2023 and made 51 total tackles (38 solo), one forced fumble, 12 pass deflections, four interceptions, and returned two kicks for 33 yards
— Played through a separated shoulder in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, opting to stay in the game when his coach told him to sit out the rest of the game
— First-team All-SEC (2023), Second-team All-American (2023)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Kris Abrams-Draine has had quite the football journey from high school and is now knocking on the door to the pros. He was a wide receiver for most of his high school career before playing quarterback his senior year, committing to two other SEC schools before settling on Missouri. He went there as a wide receiver before transitioning to the defensive side of the football in 2021. Finding a home at cornerback, he would go on to earn All-SEC and All-American honors this past season with the Tigers.

When you pop in the tape on Abrams-Draine, you see a long, slender corner whose ball skills as a former receiver are evident. He does a good job playing the football in the air and competing at the catch point as you can see in the clip below. Picking up the receiver in the slot, he proceeds to carry him up the field, getting good position in-front of him to leap and secure the interception.

Abrams-Draine does a good job breaking on the football on underneath routes and plays the football through the receiver’s hands, forcing incompletions. Here is a good example against Tennessee. Draine lines up in the slot and sees the receiver breaking inside right near the first down marker. Closing on the receiver in a hurry, he sticks his hand in to break up the pass.

Abrams-Draine may be thin of frame, but he does a good job getting physical at the line of scrimmage in press coverage when playing on the outside. Watch this rep where he matches up with the Tennessee receiver in bump-and-run coverage. Getting hands on him at the snap of the football, he rides him to the sideline, staying with him step-for-step down the field. You see Abrams-Draine’s closing speed and burst in the second clip as well against Georgia. Closing the space between him and the receiver quickly, he gets his hand in front of the intended target to force the incomplete pass.

Abrams-Draine does have his struggles when it comes to contesting passes due to his frame. He lacks ideal size and strength to consistently defend the jump ball against bigger, more physical receivers. Here are a couple examples below of Abrams-Draine losing at the catch point, either due to a lack of physicality or lack of spatial awareness to be in the right place at the right time to defend the pass.

Abrams-Draine can also be a mixed bag when it comes to tackling. He has the desire and aggressiveness to throw his body in there against runners but lacks the size to properly wrap up and take runners down on occasion. Watch these two reps against Georgia. Abrams-Draine gets run over in the first clip by the Georgia running back but manages to cut down the receiver in the second clip as he flies in to make the tackle. He can stand to do a better job wrapping up ball carriers to slow them down and prevent from bouncing off contact.

He hasn’t done it much in recent seasons, but Abrams-Draine has a background as a kick returner. He had 484 kick return yards in 2021, including a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Tennessee. You see his speed and acceleration on display as he gets to the corner and pulls away from the rest of the coverage team for the house call.

CONCLUSION

Kris Abrams-Draine is an athletically gifted corner who has the speed and burst to run with receivers down the field and close distance on them quickly to impact passes. His ball skills as a former receiver aid in his ability to generate turnovers as he is able to play the ball in the air like it’s his. Still, there are several occasions on tape where Abrams-Draine loses position in coverage. It can be due to quick lapses where he allows separation at the top of routes or because he gets beat at the catch point by stronger receivers who overpower him due to his thin frame.

When coming up with a pro comparison for Abrams-Draine, Eric Stokes came to mind. He is another former SEC corner who boasted impressive speed and athleticism, had a similar frame and could run with receivers in coverage while making plays on the football. However, Stokes hasn’t panned out as a former first-round pick by Green Bay. He seems to struggle staying sticky in coverage consistently and gets lost at the catch point at times, like Abrams-Draine, having all the physical tools but still needing to refine them.

Luckily for Abrams-Draine, he has shown that he can hold his own on the outside but may be best-suited for slot duties to at least start his NFL career. He has also only been a defensive back for three seasons and is still growing into the player he can be as he continues to get more reps. The Steelers could use a corner who can play outside or in the slot and Abrams-Draine would bring some much-needed speed and playmaking to their secondary if they were to select him this spring.

Projection: Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 7.8 Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round)
Games Watched: at Georgia (2023) vs Tennessee (2023), vs Tennessee (2021)