Kris Abrams-Draine Selected by Denver Broncos in 2024 NFL Draft

On Thursday, Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson became the first Missouri player drafted in the first round since Charles Harris in 2017.

But he wasn't going to be the last Tiger taken in the 2024 NFL Draft; in fact, Robinson was set to be the first of many, and that continued when MU defensive back Kris-Abrams Draine was taken with the 145th pick of the draft by the Denver Broncos in Detroit. He was the fifth Tiger selected, joining Robinson (ARI), Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (DET), Ty'Ron Hopper (GB) and Javon Foster (JAX) in that club.

The Broncos had loaded up on Pac-12 talent with their first three picks of the draft. They took Oregon quarterback Bo Nix with the 12th overall pick, Utah defensive end Jonah Eliss in the third round and Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin (Nix's top receiving option other than Tez Johnson) in the fourth round. This pick filled a need, as Denver's secondary depth beyond Patrick Surtain II was in need of fresh talent.

Abrams-Draine signed with Missouri in 2019 as a wide receiver, but he transitioned to cornerback after just one season in Columbia. From there, Abrams-Draine became an immediate leader in Missouri's defensive back room, as he tallied seven interceptions and 34 passes defended over his final three seasons with the Tigers.

Robinson keeps the streak of a Missouri Tiger getting drafted to 20 consecutive drafted, as MU has had at least one player selected in every NFL Draft since 2005. He is the ninth Missouri player selected in the Drinkwitz era and the first to go in the first round.

During Missouri's streak of 20 consecutive drafts having a player picked, only five have been defensive backs -- William Moore in 2009 (ATL), E.J. Gaines in 2014 (STL), Joshuah Bledsoe in 2021 (NE), Tyree Gillespie that same year (LVR) and now Abrams-Draine (team).

Missouri defensive back Kris Abrams-Draine

Perhaps only now can the change be fully appreciated. Three years ago, Missouri Tigers cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine was on the other side of the ball, catching passes and looking like he could be a pretty good wide receiver at the collegiate level. 

But he didn't have ideal height, or fit some of the other metrics that NFL scouts look at when evaluating prospects. In all likelihood, he would have been labeled as "just another wide receiver" or middle-of-the-pack" talent, hindering his chances of making it at the next level. Although the road would be more difficult, Abrams-Draine took on the challenge of making the switch to defensive back where he had more potential. 

This isn't to say that he'll be the next Trevon Diggs, who began his career at Alabama as a wide receiver, but is now an All-Pro cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, but a quick look at the draft landscape is telling in regards to the position position switch. 

Most draft experts are in agreement that the position group with the most talent in the 2024 NFL Draft is wide receiver. Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., Washington’s Rome Odunze and LSU’s Malik Naber could all go in the top 10 along with Georgia receiving tight end Brock Bowers. Factor in the four quarterbacks who figure to be very popular as well and the top of the draft will likely be dominated by offense. 

Meanwhile, there's a good group of cornerbacks even though Ohio State's Denzel Burke did not opt into the draft. That works to the advantage of Abrams-Draine, who could be a Day 2 pick and have a good change to stick with a team past his initial contract. 

NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein wrote: "Abrams-Draine is a talented prospect with good football intelligence and the versatility to fit in with teams desiring to mix up coverages. He's on the slender side and will need to prove he can handle both man coverage and run-support duties against an upgrade in size. His confidence and cover skills improved last year, but his ball skills and instincts have always been good. He's very poised in one-on-ones down the field and has the range and field vision teams look for. Abrams-Draine's on-ball production and general consistency help mitigate concerns over size, and he could come off the board as a Day 2 selection, with the ability to compete for a role as a CB3."

Played in five games at wide receiver as a freshman, transitioned to defensive back and played in all 13 games with 10 starts in 2021. He made three interceptions while breaking up a team-leading seven passes. Started in 12 games at cornerback as a sophomore and made several appearances as a return specialist on kick returns. Finished the 2022 season with 48 total tackles, 31 solo. His 14 pass-breakups were second-most in the SEC behind Kool-Aid McKinstry and tied for ninth nationally. As a junior Abrams-Draine led the SEC and ranked fifth in the nation in passes defended with 1.3 per game. His four interceptions were third in the SEC. He was the first Tiger to log an interception in three consecutive games (Sept. 16-30) since Aarion Penton in 2016.

Height: 5-11
Weight: 197 pounds
Hand: 8 7/8
Arm: 31 1/8
Wing: 74 1/4

40-yard dash: 4.44 seconds
10-yard split: 1.53
Vertical jump: 33.5 inches

“He's an elite cornerback but also an elite young man. He's a guy that, to me, has done it the right way. When we talk about in today's age of college football, he's stuck it through the same program for four straight years. Not only that, he came in, he played mostly quarterback in high school, came as a wide receiver and has really developed himself through hard work into the cornerback position.”

— Former Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker

In the first post-combine four-round mock by NFL Draft Bible, Abrams-Draine was projected to be the No. 93-overall selection by the Baltimore Ravens late in the third round. 

NFL Draft Bible had Abrams-Draine rated as the No. 13 cornerback before the Senior Bowl, and it's a position that ever team can always use someone. He might start out as a slot defender and grow into a corner spot as he's still pretty new to the position.

Third round.

"I'd say that I'm fast, I can play man-to-man, I'm really passionate and I catch picks. I'd say my weakness is that I'm a little lighter weight than usual."

— Abrams-Draine