Colts Rookie Cornerback Could Surprise in Training Camp

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Micah Abraham has a chance to make some waves in Training Camp this offseason.

Oct 9, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd defensive back Micah Abraham (6) celebrates after defeating the Old Dominion Monarchs at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts selected cornerback Micah Abraham in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Abraham, 23, has the potential to make a splash in the Colts' relatively open cornerback room this offseason.

Abraham was a surprising pick for the Colts in this past draft. General Manager Chris Ballard prioritizes selecting elite athletes, while Abraham struggled to hit above average marks in a majority of the pre-draft testing. His lack of length and size are also out of the ordinary for the Colts' typical mold at the position.

Micah Abraham was drafted in round 6 pick 201 in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 3.70 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 1558 out of 2472 CB from 1987 to 2024. https://t.co/uWwi9DWGkI pic.twitter.com/sjrPX9gJkG

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 27, 2024

Abraham has to have one shining trait for the Colts of all teams to take a flier on this profile, and for Ballard that trait is ball skills. Ballard went into detail post-draft on why the team felt comfortable selecting a player with Abraham's skillset:

His ability to go inside and play the nickel is important, that gives him some flexibility. So, to go in and out gives him some real value and gives him a chance to actually compete and make the roster. 12 picks (in his college career) is 12 picks, that’s not easy to do. So, he’s got a natural instinct and ball skills. That usually translates.

With the Colts' cornerback battle wide open this offseason, could a player with Abraham's ball skills make an impact on day one?

The Skillset is There

The Colts' cornerback room is still a major work in progress, with the only guaranteed players to make the team are Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones, and Dallis Flowers. Two of those four roster locks played fewer 10 games last year for the team.

A skilled, versatile player like Abraham could be the exact archetype this unit needs this upcoming season. His long speed is among the best in the secondary, and the ability to play at both nickel cornerback and on the outside is something that the other players on the roster are lacking at the moment (aside from Moore).

While Abraham's speed and versatility will be key, the main separator for him this offseason could be his ball skills. The Colts' cornerback room finished with just 23 pass breakups and five interceptions in 262 targets last season. For comparison, Abraham just wrapped up his senior season at Marshall with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups in only 63 targets thrown his way.

Obviously this is comparing apples to oranges with the NFL game to the college game, but Abraham was quite effective last season at getting his hands on the ball. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 49.2% of their passes when throwing Abraham's way last season and had a QB rating of just 75.4. He was a disruptive playmaker at the college level that excelled at dislodging passes from their intended target.

Micah Abraham moves much better on film than his testing would indicate. Really good closing speed when the ball is in the air.

I like him as slot corner depth in the Colts' zone heavy scheme pic.twitter.com/vVaGJ1F6cG

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) April 27, 2024

Abraham's success at the college level isn't just confined to his senior season either. For his career, Abraham held opposing passers to a 48.8% completion percentage when targeted, and he came away with 12 interceptions and 34 pass breakups as well. As Ballard said post-draft, those traits do tend to translate to the NFL level regardless of athletic ability.

Abraham also spent his redshirt freshman season in the slot, perhaps hinting at his potential role with the Colts in year one. He impressed in that role as well, holding opposing quarterbacks to a 50% completion percentage and coming away with an interception and four pass breakups in 262 slot snaps.

Digging through some Micah Abraham film from his career and found this nice little PBU from a few years back. Nearly got the pick on the play pic.twitter.com/L6l296Rk1b

— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) July 10, 2024

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The Backup Slot Role is Open

For Abraham to make this roster, he has to shine in a way that the other promising cornerbacks can't. The most obvious plan of attack for the young playmaker is through the slot cornerback position. The backup role is wide open, and his only main competition on the roster is veteran Chris Lammons.

If Abraham can win this role outright in camp, he will be in an advantageous position for himself going forward. He would have the opportunity to learn from one of the best minds in the game in Moore and understand to nuances of this defensive system. Like Abraham, Moore was once an undersized playmaker at the college level that made the transition to the slot seemlessly in the NFL.

The opportunity is there for Abraham in camp, it simply comes down to his readiness to take it. The Colts have had success in the past with young day three corners making an impact in year one (Jaylon Jones, Isaiah Rodgers Sr., Marvell Tell II) and Abraham has the opportunity to join that group in 2024 with a strong Training Camp.

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