Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram didn’t get to participate in the Senior Bowl. That didn’t stop him from catching the eye of 49ers general manager John Lynch, who wasn’t shy about talking up Abram when asked about him during his press conference at the NFL combine.
Lynch specifically noted how Abram’s leadership skills at the Senior Bowl stood out:
“I can tell you with him, and I don’t get into the practice of talking about each one of these guys, but the one thing I was impressed with is he showed up,” Lynch said. “He wasn’t cleared to play in that game, but he showed up, he stayed around and he kind of became a leader of that squad when he wasn’t even playing. That really impressed me with John. He’s a very talented football player. His film speaks volumes. I think if John keeps handling himself like he has, he’s going to do just fine.”
That praise is particularly significant given the 49ers’ emphasis on team culture and finding players who fit in their locker room.
Safety is undoubtedly on the team’s list of offseason needs. They’ll almost certainly aim to go that route in the draft if they’re unable to secure a starting-caliber player in free agency. That makes Lynch’s thorough approval of Abram more interesting.
He measured at the combine at 5 feet 11, 207 pounds. He’s a good athlete who can fill the free safety role in San Francisco’s defense.
The 49ers have a slew of young players at both safety spots, but no players stepped up as surefire starters in 2018. Increased competition in the back end of the secondary was a focus of head coach Kyle Shanahan’s in his end-of-season press conference.
Abram is talented enough to step in and compete for a starting job right away. That, combined with Lynch gushing about his ability to lead, makes it worth keeping a close eye on Abram throughout the pre-draft process.
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