Dallas Cowboys Draft target – RB Israel Abanikanda, Pitt
Running back help should be a top priority for the Dallas Cowboys. Will it be? I doubt it but we are hearing rumors that Jerry Jones desperately wants to bring Ezekiel Elliott back in the fold. Is that a good idea? Not in my opinion.
Two reasons that are widely known as to why they shouldn’t:
- Money
- And declining talent.
It’s time for the Dallas Cowboys to pull off the band-aid and look to the future. Israel Abanikanda is a prospect that will fill that need.
Say what you will but the Dallas Cowboys need to part ways with Zeke and move into the modern way of building your team. Keep the running back at a moderate rate and continue to get young runners in the draft. If you’re a progress stopper, it’s time to go. Dallas needs to find out what they have with Malik Davis.
Tony Pollard is coming back for at least one more season on the franchise tag. I believe the Dallas Cowboys will be in a position to bring a talented rookie running back into the fold for this season and more importantly the future.
Israel Abanikanda is that exact prospect from the University of Pittsburg.
A combination of ideal size at 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds. That fits the physical profile Dallas loves. He can easily be the project player that Dallas can stash for a year or two and it wouldn’t take a high draft pick to do it.
At Pittsburg, he was ultra productive. 1400 yards and 20 touchdowns in his junior year will do the trick. One of the youngest prospects in this draft at the ripe age of 20 years old, that along with limited carries (392 in 3 seasons) on his body should bode well for him at the next level.
We need to ask ourselves – What were the Dallas Cowboys missing when Pollard got injured?
Speed. This kid brings that element in spades.
Yes, he is extremely raw but that’s what a good running backs coach is there for. We’ll need to coach him up to be ready in case there’s another freak unexpected injury. I believe when Dallas put the franchise tag on TP20 they basically said thanks but no thanks to a first round running back. They have other needs, but it shouldn’t preclude them from finding late round talent.
To me, his running style is a one cut built for a zone blocking scheme. While Dallas doesn’t employ a zone blocking scheme, they have changed their offensive line coach to a guy that brings a variable approach. That should also bode well for our chances of a running back like Abanikanda fitting behind this line.
If you want proof that this kid is legit, check out the game tape against Virginia Tech last season. 320 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. I don’t care what type of defense you are playing against that shouldn’t be possible in a college football game.
As I stated earlier, we don’t know what we have in Malik Davis so adding another running back with this type of talent should be a goal of the Dallas Cowboys. I can see him going somewhere in the fourth to sixth rounds.
Next. Cowboys interested in the next great mismatch TE. dark
Our good friends at Drafttek.com just released a new mock draft and guess what team they are projecting will take Mr. Abanikana – our beloved Dallas Cowboys. In the fourth round might I add. Let’s throw in the fact that he has visited with the Cowboys recently. Dallas would be wise to make this pick.