After the strides taken in year two under Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh, the New York Jets are ready to take that next step. The team used the offseason to address issues on the roster from last year, especially at the quarterback position. Now with a certified Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and an experienced play caller in Nathaniel Hackett on the sideline, the postseason doesn’t seem that far off. To get there, they will require certain players to have big seasons. One of them includes a rookie running back in Israel Abanikanda ready to make an impact.
Israel Abanikanda Can Help Aaron Rodgers This Season
In 2019, Israel Abanikanda was a highly touted three-star recruit. The Brooklyn Native committed to play for the University of Pittsburgh. After two seasons sharing a backfield with future Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, Abanikanda became the most vital piece of the Panthers’ offense. He finished his junior year by having a spectacular season with 1,431 rushing yards on 239 attempts and 21 total touchdowns. That includes breaking the university’s single-game rushing record set by Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett. With a strong performance at the combine, including a 4.45 time on his 40-yard dash, scouts were excited for Izzy during day three of the draft. Fortunately for New York, Joe Douglas secured him in the 5th round with the 143rd overall pick.
Abanikanda’s Role in the Offense
Until Breece Hall is healthy, The 5th round pick is expected to be featured early this season. With Bree Hall recovering from the torn ACL he suffered in October, Abanikanda, Zonovan Knight, and Michael Carter will be in the backfield until Hall’s return. For Abanikanda, he should stand out in Hackett’s offense due to the coach’s reliance on zone running schemes. Izzy has enough size at 5′-10″ tall and nearly 220 pounds to handle early-down work. He displayed this potential in the Hall of Fame Game after scoring the first touchdown of the preseason. His breakaway speed and sideline-to-sideline agility will elude tacklers for extra yards. Hackett’s offense hinges on getting the ball into his playmakers’ hands. Aaron Rodgers will involve Abanikanda in the passing game too. Izzy finished his sophomore season with 25 receptions with Kenny Pickett. This will be helpful in the passing game.
Depth At Running Back
After attention-grabbing performances early last season, Breece Hall became an instant fan favorite in New York. The electric second-round pick out of Iowa State looked like a star before his injury. With 463 rushing yards, 5.8 yards per carry, and five total touchdowns, Hall was the favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In the twilight of his recovery, Breece should be back in time for the beginning of the season. Once he’s recovered, the running back room will feature Hall, Abanikanda, Knight, and Carter. The uncertainty of Dalvin Cook’s potential signing could have the running back room looking different by week one. Should Cook sign, the team will have an exciting running game for Aaron Rodgers to utilize. For Hackett, one can see him using the trio of Hall, Abanikanda, and Cook as his version of the Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon backfield he had in Green Bay.
Main Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski – USA Today Sports
