Is Mizzou DB Kris Abrams-Draine Being Overlooked this Season?

Abrams-Draine enters his second full season as a converted defensive back.

The Missouri Tigers had one of the worst defenses based on total yards allowed in the SEC last season.

With 445.4 yards surrendered per game, the Tigers were second-worst in the conference, ahead of only 2-10 Vanderbilt. But the secondary, which allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards per contest (216.1) and had two defensive backs finish in the top three in the conference in total interceptions, was hardly to blame. 

One of these standout players in the secondary was Kris Abrams-Draine, who used his ball skills as a former receiver to snag three picks last season, which tied him for third in the conference. He also had seven passes defended, which was more than any player who had four or more picks in the SEC.

But in a conference full of some of the best talent college football offers, Abrams-Draine is understandably being overlooked.

247Sports listed him as one of the most underrated players for the 2022 season. Here's what the list had to say about the junior defensive back:

A converted wide receiver, it is all about potential for Abrams-Draine. He flashed in a major way as a sophomore last season, his first playing defensive back at the collegiate level. He appeared in all 13 games with 10 starts and intercepted three passes while leading the Tigers with seven pass breakups. That is a great stat line for a career defensive back, let alone a guy that has less than 15 games at the position under his belt. 

Abrams-Draine also returned kicks on special teams last season and proved his value and versatility extend beyond the defensive side of the ball. In a 62-24 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Oct. 2, Abrams-Draine was one of the lone sparks for the Tigers, as he had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the third quarter as Mizzou trailed big. 

With speed and proven ball skills, don't be surprised if Abrams-Draine takes another one to the house on either a pick-six or a kick return next season. This will likely be just one of many plays that make the country realize who No. 14 in the Mizzou secondary is. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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