Big Board ranking: #46
Positional ranking: #5
Overview
Position: RB
College: Pittsburgh
Class: Junior
Age: 20
Measurables
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 216 lbs.
Arm length: 32”
Hand size: 8 1/4″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: N/A
10-yard split: N/A
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: N/A
Short shuttle: N/A
Strengths
Explosive runner with big-time breakaway speed. Thick and compact build. Runs with high determination and does not go down without a fight. Easily sheds arm tackles around the hips and lower body. Lowers his pad level into contact. Blends quick feet with upper-body strength. Excellent pacing as a between-the-tackles runner. Tremendous acceleration through the hole. Keeps his shoulders square while weaving in the open field to maximize his path. Rare feel for the optimal path to destroy pursuit angles. Extremely light feet to make cuts without breaking stride. Very quick shuffle cut to find a hole or make defenders miss when facing penetration. Able to sliver through creases. Good timing to allow a block to create a seal on inside runs. Powerful stiff arm. Uses a spin move to evade tacklers. Can power into or through defenders. Will lower his shoulder into the pile to drive forward in short-yardage situations. Dangerous getting the ball in space on screen passes. Played in a traditional offense with runs from under center. Rushed 36 times for 320 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Virginia Tech (2022). Has experience as the quarterback and running back in wildcat formations.
Weaknesses
Can be more eager with opportunities to bounce runs when things are clogged inside. Vision and initial patience behind the line of scrimmage are inconsistent. Misses some wider opportunities to the edge or on the backside. Does not catch the ball cleanly. Ran a limited route tree. Had three fumbles across his final five games after zero career fumbles before that point.
NFL comparison
David Wilson
Conclusion
Overall, Abanikanda is an explosive, one-cut runner with home-run speed that has the build and running style to continue operating as a workhorse. Even in a strong running back class, he should draw interest in Round 2 for a team such as the Dolphins.