Oakland Raiders: 3 Potential breakout Hard Knocks stars

Johnathan Abram

After the HBO series, NFL crews may want to put a mic on Jonathan Abram on game day. He appeared on The Lefkoe Show and compared his trash-talking to retired wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. The 22-year-old shared a PG zing used in college with the Bleacher Report host. “I hate that your son looks like you. Y’all both ugly,” he said.

Every locker room needs a brash trash-talker, practical joker or someone who’s going to rib his teammates when something goes awry. Abram sounds like that guy. His first interaction with Gruden sounds like two buddies threatening to go at each other on sight, per the Raiders’ official Twitter:

Abram spotted Gruden curling dumbbells and decided to cheer him on (h/t Twitter handle Dan905):

Abram brings a mix of leadership, confidence and friendly competition to the locker room. Even though it’s his first year, he’s going to bring instant energy and push teammates on the practice field.

The Raiders expect Abram to hit the ground running this offseason. He’s primed to start at safety and set the tone in the secondary. The coaching staff will probably want to see his fiery attitude on the field, and the Mississippi State product may add extra spice with the cameras rolling.

You may want to take notes on Abram’s trash-talking technique and steal a few lines. He’s a lightning rod ready to shine in front of the cameras this summer.