Jets Draft Israel Abanikanda: Dynasty Rookie Outlook (2023 Fantasy Football)

The 2023 NFL Draft is here! After months of waiting, we finally know where the 2023 NFL Draft class will land. This information shapes the outlook for rookies in 2023 and beyond. We’re going to have you covered throughout and following the 2023 NFL Draft to help you prepare for your fantasy football leagues. Next up for many will be dynasty rookie drafts. To help you prepare to make your dynasty rookie draft picks, let’s dive into Matthew Jones’s 2023 NFL Draft profile as well as Pat Fitzmaurice’s dynasty rookie draft outlook for Israel Abanikanda.

Dynasty Rookie Picks & Predictions: Jets Draft Israel Abanikanda

Let’s first see what NFL Draft expert Matthew Jones says about Israel Abanikanda.

Matthew Jones’s 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

Background:

Three-star recruit who carried the ball 28 times as a freshman, then split carries with Vincent Davis and Rodney Hammond Jr. the following year, starting six of thirteen games and rushing for 123-651-7 (5.3), adding 24-197-1 through the air. Became the full-time starter this past year and enjoyed a highly productive campaign of 239-1,431-20 (6.0) to conclude his college career.

Positives:

Had an outstanding junior campaign in which he functioned as the team’s feature back, typically executing outside zone concepts. Reasonably-built runner with a low center of gravity. Runs with decisiveness and executes the play as designed. Does a nice job of recognizing cutback lanes, and his clean, subtle footwork allows him to shuffle into holes or navigate through congestion effectively; reliably gets what’s blocked for him. Shows impressive burst in the hole and solid top-end speed to rip off big runs. Can occasionally sidestep early penetration to salvage short gains or get back to the line of scrimmage. Some ability to run through arm tackles or spin-off of contact for additional yardage. Generally does a pretty good job of finishing runs by falling forward. Has solid ball security, with only three career fumbles. Didn’t return many kicks, but scored on one return in 2021.

Negatives:

Benefited from the opportunity to run through some big holes during the games reviewed. Drives his legs well after contact but generally struggles to push the pile; functional strength appears average at best and doesn’t generate many yards after contact. Gets brought down easily at or before the line of scrimmage, when he hasn’t built up a head of steam. Was relatively little used as a receiver in school, and hands appear questionable, with five drops versus thirty-eight career receptions. Pass protection was iffy in school over limited snaps, and may not have the ideal power for that role at the next level.

Summary:

A quick running back with impressive vision and burst in the hole, he reliably picked up what was blocked for him and showed the ability to break big plays when he found a crease this past season, traits which should appeal to zone-heavy teams looking for a change-of-pace back. However, struggles to break tackles and grind out tough yardage by pushing the pile on inside attempts, and hasn’t blocked or caught the ball with the consistency teams look for in a third-down back, which may cause him to slip into the mid-rounds on draft day.

2023 Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook: Israel Abanikanda

Abanikanda is an exciting talent, but it’s hard to be excited about his draft capital or his landing spot. Abanikanda fell into the fifth round, where he was selected by the Jets. Abanikanda is destined to serve as Breece Hall’s backup. There’s no way Abanikanda is going to pass Hall on the depth chart on the merits, but the rookie from Pittsburgh could become immensely valuable if Hall were to go down again. (A torn ACL prematurely ended Hall’s rookie season in 2022.)

A breakout star last season for the University of Pittsburgh, Abanikanda erupted for 1,431 rushing yards and 20 TD runs, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. The 5-10, 216-pound Abanikanda combines good size with 4.5 speed. He also has exceptional burst, good vision and quick feet. Abanikanda doesn’t run with a lot of power, so he might not be cut out for goal-line work or heavy-duty usage, and he doesn’t have much experience as a pass catcher.

Abanikanda is worth a flyer in the third round of a 1QB dynasty rookie draft, and maybe in the late third round or early fourth round in a superflex draft. His situation is far from ideal, but his talent is intriguing.