Packers pick up former All-American running back

Since the Green Bay Packers swapped international kickers, they’ve had two open roster spots available. On Friday, they used one of them by claiming former All-American running back Israel Abanikanda. Abanikanda broke onto the scene in 2022, when he finished his first full year as a starter with the Pittsburgh Panthers. That year, he posted 1,431 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns on 239 attempts (6.0 yards per carry) and earned both first-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors.

The true junior left college after just three years and was picked by the New York Jets in the fifth round. This was a homecoming for Abanikanda, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and won New York’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year as a prep.

Abanikanda saw action in six games as a rookie, but did not play for the Jets in 2024 and was waived by the team in December. The San Francisco 49ers picked up Abanikanda off waivers the next day, and he remained on the 49ers’ roster until yesterday, when he was waived by San Francisco.

Israel Abanikanda is a RB prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.88 RAS out of a possible 10.00 after his pro day. This ranked 22 out of 1683 RB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/Cr89zTCS0N #RAS pic.twitter.com/35wJ5tXuND — RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 30, 2023

Hopefully, the Packers can get the most out of Abanikanda, who ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at 216 pounds at the combine. He also posted an impressive 41” vertical jump in Indianapolis.

A lot of people who have connections to Green Bay have been around Abanikanda, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Packers got some intel there. Nathaniel Hackett, the former Green Bay offensive coordinator, was one of the running back’s offensive coordinators. His head coach? Robert Saleh, whose best man at his wedding was current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Both Saleh and Hackett worked with LaFleur as analysts following their stint with the Jets.

Abanikanda will likely be fighting for a practice squad spot in Green Bay, considering that they already have Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks, all players who have previously made the team’s 53-man roster, returning for 2025. Other backs in the room include Jalen White and Amar Johnson. At the moment, Johnson is on the Packers’ non-football injury list, meaning that Johnson was hurt outside of Green Bay’s facilities this offseason.

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