Tigers in the NFL: Kris Abrams-Draine steps up for Broncos
In lieu of an injured Pat Surtain II, Denver once again called upon second-year cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine.
A fifth-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft, Abrams-Draine served as depth this season for the Broncos until Surtain suffered a pectoral injury in Week 8. With his role expanding across the past seven days, Abrams-Draine logged seven tackles, five by himself and one for loss, in an 18-15 win over Houston on Sunday.
“If you recall how he played at the end of last year, he’s probably got the best hands on the team,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Sunday. “At least internally, we have been thrilled with his progress.”
The former Missouri cornerback also sustained a hard hit on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud early into the second quarter. Stroud, who attempted a late slide, left the game with a concussion. There was no penalty flag thrown on Abrams-Draine.
Following a season-high 43 snaps, Abrams-Draine also received words of support from former Missouri teammate Ennis Rakestraw Jr. The injured Detroit cornerback shared “Duh” to X (formerly Twitter) in response to a Denver fan account stating, “I believe in Kris Abrams-Draine.”
Also for the Broncos, running back Tyler Badie logged two catches on three targets for six total yards while dropping one pass and logging one reception for a loss of six. The 2022 sixth-rounder also returned a kickoff for 22 yards.
How other Tigers performed in Week 9
In a 28-21 loss to Buffalo, Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton led all defenders with 14 tackles, five solo and one for loss. San Francisco defensive tackle Jordan Elliot logged two tackles in a 34-24 victory over the New York Giants. Arizona defensive lineman Darius Robinson recorded one assisted tackle early into a 27-17 victor over Dallas on Monday.
Carolina cornerback Akayleb Evans, who has primarily played on special teams this season, logged another assisted tackle in back-to-back weeks. The Panthers defeated the Packers, 16-13, to improve to 4-1 across their past five games. After stopping a 2-point conversion in Week 8, Green Bay linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper recorded one solo tackle this past Sunday.
Chicago rookie Luther Burden III missed his first NFL contest Sunday against Cincinnati. Burden, who was sidelined during practice this past week, suffered his concussion the previous Sunday against Baltimore.