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The New York Jets added some more competition in the backfield on Saturday, April 29.
Gang Green selected Pittsburgh running back Israel Abanikanda with the No. 143 overall pick in the fifth round. It didn’t take long for Breece Hall to share his take on social media.
“Welcome [Abanikanda], let’s do it” with a handshake emoji. He also tagged his official Twitter account in the tweet.
Jets RB Breece Hall Handled This Draft Situation a Lot Differently
Earlier this offseason there were rumors floated by Adam Schefter of ESPN that the Jets were interested in former Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott.
Hall immediately responded to that tweet saying, “I think we good over here.” Shortly after tweeting that comment, he deleted it on social media.
However, the damage had already been done with folks questioning how the running back responded to competition being potentially added to the room.
With Ty Johnson getting cut ahead of the 2023 NFL draft, there is a clear path for Israel Abanikanda affectionately called Izzy, to make some noise as a rookie.
Hall is coming off of a torn ACL and the hope is he’ll be ready for Week 1 of the 2023 season. If he is that’s great however if he isn’t ready, the Jets will have other options to fill in during the meantime.
Immediate Impact Guy for Jets in 2023
Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic said he believes that Izzy will “wind up being one of the Jets’ best picks from this draft. Should have a role right away.”
It should be a multifaceted role for Izzy because, on top of his running back contributions, he will also be a key cog on special teams.
Connor Hughes of SNY said Abanikanda has “kick return ability” and revealed that the Jets “loved that.”
Israel is only 20 years of age and he won’t turn 21 until the middle of the 2023 season. He will be one of the youngest players in the league.
The talented runner was a major contributor for two seasons at Pittsburgh and the stats speak for themselves.
He toted the rock 390 times in his career for 2,177 rushing yards and scored 28 rushing touchdowns. Abanikanda also showed a little chutzpah in the receiving game recording 38 receptions for 354 yards and scored an additional three touchdowns through the air.
NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler said he was a “featured weapon” in college. However on the Jets, he won’t have to be the guy, he only has to be a guy.
Brugler had some interesting things to say about his pros and cons in his overall summary.
“Abanikanda doesn’t have the contact balance desired for a featured NFL back, but he is an instinctive runner with outstanding vision, burst, and run-away gear to be a productive part of a committee backfield. His development as a blocker and receiver will also determine his NFL ceiling.”
The days of an NFL team being led by one true bell-cow are nearly over. Only a few talented runners can still claim they can accomplish that and those players are a dying breed.
The true present and future of the NFL is a running back by committee and the Jets have a variety of guys who can do different things.
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