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Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; Denver Broncos inside linebacker Karene Reid (47) and safety Drew Sanders (42) and cornerback Kris Abrams–Draine (31) and cornerback Joshua Pickett (39) and cornerback Jahdae Barron (12) celebrate an interception, that was later nullified, in the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Pat Surtain II on Broncos' CB Kris Abrams-Draine: 'He's a Gamer'

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 4:48 PM ET

In the Denver Broncos' 30-9 preseason win over the San Francisco 49ers, second-year cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine was all over the field. He was always close to the ball and even picked one off, although it was called back due to a penalty on Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike.

A fifth-round pick last year, Abrams-Draine enters this season relatively buried on the Broncos' cornerback depth chart. On most teams, he'd likely be a starter, even as young and relatively inexperienced though he is.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton explained on Tuesday how Abrams-Draine has been able to stand out and succeed so early in his career.

“He’s smart, he has really good ball skills. He’s one of those players that, someone brought it up at the beginning of training camp; the tail end of last year, his play and his confidence," Payton said of Abrams-Draine. "You can have a stretch of four weeks, and all of a sudden, that can carry over into the next year. He’s someone that prefers to play off and keep the ball in front, break on the ball. I like his ball skills, and I like between the ears. He’s very, very smart.”

The Big Audition | 2024 Season

Abrams-Draine was mostly kept on ice as a rookie until Riley Moss suffered an injury down the stretch. At first, the Broncos went with Levi Wallace in Moss' place, because he was a veteran and was signed that previous offseason, in part, due to his starting experience.

But when Jerry Jeudy made historically short work of exploiting Wallace, the Broncos had no choice but to turn to the rookie. Abrams-Draine stanched the bleeding when he was on the field, although Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph didn't fully lean into using him as the sole boundary corner opposite Patrick Surtain II while Moss was hurt, splitting his reps with Damarri Mathis.

When Moss returned to the starting lineup in Week 17, Abrams-Draine was again relegated to a depth role, but he'd proven much to the coaches and had, as Payton intimated, built up a head of steam entering his second year.

A 'Gamer'

Surtain has mentored Abrams-Draine since he arrived in the draft out of Missouri, and what he sees is a player whose best comes out when the lights go on.

"I think he's a gamer, man. He comes in, he does the right stuff necessary," Surtain said of Abrams-Draine on Tuesday. "When you've got a guy like that who comes in the game, he's going to make plays like that all over the field. He's very consistent with his play, very smart. So it's not a surprise that he's this good this early."

Football IQ is a common theme when Abrams-Draine's coaches and teammates talk about him. It's no surprise that the ball seems to find him, which Payton described as a hallmark of football IQ when discussing Ja'Quan McMillian's ball production.

“He’s smart. Again, there are certain players, the ball finds them," Payton said of McMillian. "If the ball finds players, that generally means they’re pretty smart. Then you have to have ball skills. You can be pretty smart with bad hands, and the ball’s going to find you, you’re just not going to catch it. He has those skill sets.”

So does Abrams-Draine. It makes you wonder why the Broncos felt the need to draft Jahdae Barron in the first round with Abrams-Draine in the fold and showing out early. But many such draft-day decisions are made with preemptive motives.

Moss has two years left on his deal as a 2023 third-round pick. McMillian will be a restricted free agent after the 2025 season. Surtain is locked in long-term.

And teams covet depth for a reason; injuries are a part of football. As it stands, Abrams-Draine may currently be the fifth guy on the totem pole, but that only shows how strong the Broncos are at cornerback.