The buzz around the Oakland Raiders this offseason has largely been due to their sizable group of rookies. With nine picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Raiders are hoping that they will be stocked with young talent for the future.
Of course, the No. 4 overall pick was used on Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, but another Raiders rookie has been an offseason standout thus far: Johnathan Abram. The safety was selected 27th overall coming out of Mississippi State and has been the talk of Raiders Training Camp due to his tenacity.
The buzz around Abram has continued to build as he has defied Training Camp tradition and switched up his roommate assignment. Instead of being paired with another rookie, Abram and fellow safety Karl Joseph are sharing room per mutual request.
According Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Abram is excited to room with Joseph to learn how to be a more complete NFL player:
“We watch a lot of film at night together, just making sure we are on the same page,” Abram said. “There are certain things that we can pass off and exchange because we talk about it late at night. We are just trying to build that bond so where I don’t even have to say something. He knows exactly what I’m thinking. …
“Karl wanted to be with me, and I wanted to be with him. That’s something we wanted to work on, and I wanted to see how he takes care of his body, how he handles his business because the one thing I’m trying to do is build a routine to do (like) guys who have been around and stuck around.”
Abram was originally paired with 40th overall pick, cornerback Trayvon Mullen. However, Abram and Joseph’s connection led the two together and has reportedly improved their on-field communication. Mullen is now rooming with undrafted rookie offensive lineman Lukayus McNeil.
Joseph himself is still fairly new to the NFL. The Raiders drafted him in 2016 with the 14th overall pick and he has started in 32 of the 40 games he has played in. In each of his three seasons, he has grabbed one interception and forced a fumble in 2017.
Despite both players connecting and strong skillsets, the pair might not start together right away. The Raiders added veteran safety Lamarcus Joyner this offseason, a likely candidate to start. Joyner plays a lot of slot corner though, so there should be plenty of playing time to go around for all three of them.
