Getty Las Vegas Raiders DB Johnathan Abram.
The NFL has announced the pro bowl selections and while the Oakland Raiders had some notable players selected, they also had a couple of big snubs. Tight end Darren Waller figured to be a shoo-in to make his first pro bowl appearance, but he was only selected as an alternate. Josh Jacobs has been one of the top running backs in the NFL this season and he’s been doing it with a bum shoulder. Despite that, Jacobs was only selected as an alternate.
Teammate and fellow rookie Johnathan Abram wasn’t happy that the running back didn’t make it.
Abram was responding to Pro Football Focus, who has Jacobs as the second highest-rated runner in the entire NFL. He leads all running backs in forced missed tackles per attempt and is third in the AFC in rushing yards. Though he didn’t make the pro bowl, he should still be considered the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. They’ll be plenty of pro bowls for the impressive running back in the coming years.
Trent Brown Celebrates First Pro Bowl Selection
One player on the Raiders who did get into his first pro bowl is starting right tackle Trent Brown. After a somewhat inconsistent career, Brown seemed to finally figure things out while he was with the New England Patriots in 2018. Oakland decided to make him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL during the offseason and he’s certainly lived up to his contract thus far. He took to Twitter to celebrate his selection.
I want to take the time to thank all you guys, the fans, my fellow underdogs for voting. This is such a great honor. Pro Bowl 2020, first of many to come! #GREATESTUNDERDOG #TB77
Brown has been dealing with various injuries for almost the entire season, so he’s been playing at a pro-bowl-level while not being at 100%. The 26-year old will take the offseason to get healthy and should come back even stronger next season. He’s gotten better every year and he puts a lot of work in during the offseason. Don’t be surprised if he catapults to All-Pro level next year.
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Will Johnathan Abram Be a Future Pro Bowler?
One exciting player the Raiders haven’t had a real chance to evaluate yet is first-round pick safety Johnathan Abram. He got injured during the first game of the season and was put on injured reserve before he could play a second one. Oakland is really high on Abram and showed really good promise in the offseason and that first game.
It’s hard to know for sure if Abram will be a star just yet. He’s charismatic and the fans adore him. He clearly loves football and loves playing for the Raiders. The only thing left that he needs to prove is that he can help the lackluster defense make big stops. There have been numerous times during the season that the defense would have benefited greatly from having better play at safety. The Raiders have promising pieces all over the defense, so if Abram can come back at full strength and live up to his potential, this defensive unit could surprise a lot of people in the coming years.
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