The Green Bay Packers claimed safety Johnathan Abram of waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Abram, the 27th overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, was released by the Raiders on Tuesday.
The Packers, with former Raiders coach Rich Bisaccia on staff, will hope a change of scenery can help revitalize the career of Abram (6-0, 205) in Green Bay.
The former Mississippi State star has struggled in all areas of playing the safety position over his first four NFL seasons.
According to Pro Football Focus, Abram has made 63 “stops” but missed 42 tackles, allowed 11 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 118.0 in coverage and committed nine penalties. He’s produced 25 pressures as a rusher. On special teams, he has 233 career snaps.
By claiming him, the Packers will take on Abram’s base salary of almost $1 million over the rest of the 2022 season.
The Raiders took Abraham six spots after the Packers selected Darnell Savage in the 2019 draft. They were the first two defensive backs selected that year.
It’s possible Abram could help provide depth at safety and give the Packers a chance to move Savage into the slot, especially after Joe Barry’s defense lost Eric Stokes to an injury last week.