Kris Abrams-Draine Scouting Report

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

School: Missouri

Class: Redshirt Junior

Position: CB

HT: 5’11

WT: 179 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #86

Background: A former wide receiver, Kris Abrams-Draine was a 4-star receiver out of Spanish Fort, Alabama. He was a consensus top 60 wide receiver in the class of 2020. He played a multitude of positions for Spanish Fort, leading them to an appearance in the Class 6A state championship game. He was named Alabama Player of the Year by numerous outlets. He started at quarterback for 12 games and wide receiver for 2 games. His positional versatility earned him the title of runner up for Alabama Mr. Football. Kris Abrams-Draine chose Missouri over Ole Miss, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

College: As a freshman at Missouri, he did not see any action except for a single rushing attempt. Kris transitioned to cornerback for the 2021 season. He started 7 games and also led the team in pass breakups and had 3 interceptions. He also flashed as a kick returner with a touchdown. 2022 was more of the same for Abrams-Draine, starting in every game and blossoming into one of the better cornerbacks in the SEC. He was second in the conference with 14 pass breakups and top 10 in the country. Kris built on his development in 2023 by having the best season of his college career. He was named First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American after ranking 5th in the nation in passes defended.

Strengths: Kris Abrams-Draine is an instinctive cornerback who can play all over the field. He has had a lengthy career at Missouri and has played more snaps than just about every cornerback in the country. Being able to play both nickel and boundary corner makes him a valuable asset. He has had a high level of ball production for the entirety of his career and he is a proven playmaker. Kris is not fooled by late hands as he does not rely on the receiver’s body language to make a play on the football. Instead, he is fast enough and moves well enough to get his head around and locate the football in order to make a play at the catch point. He is a fluid mover and has excellent short area quickness in order to stick with his man or close down on the targeted receiver. Abrams-Draine is a willing tackler, wanting to get involved in just about every play. He flies across the field to get involved and make a play on the football.

Weaknesses: Abrams-Draine does not have the ideal size that teams look for in a cornerback. He has average to below average arm length which could be an issue against the size of the average X receiver in the NFL. In coverage, he is susceptible to double moves and gives up too much separation in the deep third of the field. Kris is also a below average run defender. He does not tackle well in the open field and cannot bring the ball carrier down on his own. He is going to need to add some muscle mass to his frame to compete with the physicality of the NFL.

Conclusion: Abrams-Draine’s ball skills and big play ability will be enough to get him on the field right away. However, he needs to do more to be a difference maker at the next level. Adding muscle would help him tremendously.

Scheme Fit: Zone Coverage

Ideal Role: Nickel

Best Team Fits: DET, LAR, PHI

Player Comparison: Roger McCreary

Player Grade: 77.2