Colts' Micah Abraham 'Never One to Shy Away' Despite Size

Indianapolis Colts draftee Micah Abraham may be small in stature, but that does not stop him from making plays on the field.

Marshall Thundering Herd defensive back Micah Abraham (6) intercepts the ball. / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

When you think of the prototypical Chris Ballard draft pick with the Indianapolis Colts, you immediately think of high-level athletes.

For years, the Colts have bet on athletic traits with their draft picks. Size, speed, and explosiveness are what Indy covets in their prospects. The same went for the top of the 2024 NFL draft, where the Colts took fantastic athletes and potential game-changers in Laiatu Latu and Adonai Mitchell.

The Colts' love for prospects with high-end athletic traits made their sixth-round selection quite surprising. The Colts drafted Micah Abraham with the No.201 pick, a 5-9, 185-pound cornerback who played his college ball with the Marshall Thundering Herd. While undersized, especially for the Colts' standards, Abraham also posted below-average testing scores (3.70 RAS) during the pre-draft process.

From the surface, this pick puzzled many Colts fans and was not a player many expected to be heading to Indy. But as you dive deeper into Abraham as a player and a person, it begins to make sense.

"I'm someone who they'll obviously say is undersized, but I'm someone who plays with a chip on his shoulder," Abraham admitted. "I'm someone who has to be good and excel in different areas because of that. One of the things I can bring is obviously my speed, my game IQ, and my ball production."

Marshall Thundering Herd defensive back Micah Abraham (6) makes a play against Old Dominion. / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Abraham does have solid speed, as his 4.43 40-yard dash is faster than what JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones ran last year. Abraham also has 62 games of college experience, with 46 starts as a member of the Thundering Herd, speaking to his football IQ.

But the ball production is where Abraham shines. He amassed 12 interceptions and 55 passes defended in his college career, leading the Sun Belt Conference in interceptions in his final two seasons. That type of production led Abraham to First-Team All-Sun Belt nods in 2022 and 2023.

Abraham brings a ball-hawking nature to a Colts secondary that needs more production, especially turning the ball over. Outside of Kenny Moore II, no Colts' cornerbacks had more than one interception last season. His ball production, combined with aggressiveness in the run game (150 total tackles), is why Abraham is a member of the Colts today.

"I wish I was taller but you can't do much about that one," Abraham smiled. "So again, you got to excel in different areas, be better than most. I'm never the one to shy away from anything, whether it's getting the ball in the air, making a tackle. I never will shy away from any of it."

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Abraham also comes from a football family. His father, Donnie, was a third-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996 with 38 interceptions and a Pro Bowl selection in 2000. His cousin, Tim Jennings, played for the Colts and was a member of the Super Bowl XLI team in 2006. Football has run through his veins since he was a kid, and Abraham knew which sport he wanted to play from a very early age.

"My dad was one of the dads who just let me chose my path of what sports I wanted to play," Abraham said. "Obviously, football was the one I chose. I just got football bloodlines. My cousin was Tim Jennings, who actually played for the Colts. I've got a dad who played in the NFL for nine years. Just growing up and having different role models was good for me just to find my love and passion for the game."

That passion for the game has led Abraham to play all over the field, regardless of position. He rotated from outside cornerback to nickel cornerback to safety. Abraham was ready to produce and help the team win wherever they needed him. The versatility and experience Abraham possesses will help him at the next level and may allow him to make the roster.

"I started at outside corner, but I feel like I'm very versatile" Abraham explained. "My freshman year at Marshall I started at safety because it's what they needed and it's what they asked of me. And I played a couple game at nickel. So anything the Colts need me to do I feel like I can do that whether it's being at nickel or being outside."

Marshall Thundering Herd defensive back Micah Abraham (6) celebrates after a win. / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts likely see Abraham as the backup nickel to Moore. With his size being what it is, inside as a slot cornerback is a more natural fit at the NFL level. The Colts have also been searching for a quality backup to Moore for years, someone who can provide playmaking ability in the passing game and toughness in the run game. Abraham can do both.

Abraham will now embark on a brand new chapter in his football journey. Being a sixth-round pick, nothing is guaranteed for Abraham, and he faces an uphill battle to make the final roster. As Abraham prepared for the NFL draft, his father gave him some important advice on how he could make an impact at the next level.

"His biggest thing was always just, you're going to get an opportunity, you made plays, you have the film for it," Abraham revealed. "You're going to get the opportunity, it's not just about when but it's about what you do with it when you get it."

Eyebrows may have been raised at the selection of Abraham. But when you dive deeper into the type of player he is, it becomes clear why the Colts are taking a shot on the undersized cornerback.

The last undersized cornerback the Colts took a shot on was Moore, and he ended up turning into a Pro Bowler. Despite his size, Abraham will do everything he can to make this shot work out as well.

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