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The NFL Draft is fast approaching and players are doing their best ot put their best foot forward, just like Pitt Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda. With hundreds of players going through their pro day's, it is the last chance to thrust their names onto NFL teams' draft boards.
Well, on his pro day, Israel Abanikanda catapaulted himself into first-round calculations. Per NFL Rookie Watch's Twitter page, the running back ran a reported 40-yard dash time between 4.26 and 4.32. Had he ran that at the combine, he would have been the fastest running back at the combine.
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Alsom his vertical jump (41") and his broad jump (10' 8") both would have been first among running backs. Yikes.
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While the likes of Texans Longhorns star Bijan Robinson and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs are touted as the best in the current draft class, Abanikanda may have just thrust himself into first-round calculations.
Israel Abanikanda has sensational 2022 season
To say that Israel Abanikanda's 2022 season was an outstanding one is a serious understatement. In what was his third year of college football, we aren't sure many saw THIS type of season coming.
In 2021, Abanikanda rushed for only 651 yards and seven touchdowns on 123 carries, but in 2022, he exploded. He totaled an astonishing 1,431 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 239 attempts as he blitzed all his career-high's in what was a superb season.
He also caught 12 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown for good measure.
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Israel Abanikanda Draft Profile
After his pro day efforts, it's hard to believe that he is currently the 15th ranked running back in the class. But we expect that to change.
One of Abanikanda's strengths is his ability to fall forward and shake off potential tackles to then produce big yards. In NFL circles, that is what Ezekiel Elliott was like when he first entered the league.
He is also a patient runner, so he won't go full stream ahead into trouble, instead looking for a gap to shoot through. On top of that, he is a decent blocker in the run game and can be used to devastating effect in the passing game as well.
Abanikanda isn't the most physically imposing running back and when it comes to blocking, he isn't the stand in the hole and each an oncoming blitzer, instead he is more of a cut blocker.
Israel Abanikanda's ranking in stacked 2023 RB class
When it comes to this year's running back class, Israel Abanikanda doesn't even break into the top 10 for Pro Football Focus and for NFL Draft Buzz, he is ranked 15th.
Whether or not that changes after his pro day is unknown, but surely he has moved above a couple of players after his outing.
There is no question that the running back will get drafted, it is just a matter of when and if his pro day is anything to go by, he could be a second or third-round pick.
