Draft Profile: Yasir Abdullah, LB/EDGE, Louisville

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The 2023 NFL offseason is nearly here and that means it’s time for mock drafts, draft profiles and everything that goes with them. So without further ado, here’s one of many Draft Profiles for the 2023 NFL draft.

Yasir Abdullah, LB/EDGE, Louisville

HT: 6’1
WT: 234 lbs

Accolades:

– 2021 Named second team All-ACC
– 2018 Four-star prospect by ESPN

Video:

Pros:

– Combines excellent power with initial quickness, but one of his best attributes are his violent hands, which Abdullah uses with impressive precision.
– Abdullah has violent hands and consistently breaks away and disengages from blockers. He’s instinctive, reading, reacting and locating the ball quickly, and finishing plays as an authoritative, wrap-up tackler.
– Vision to locate the ball and recognize cut blocks. Can rip past blockers and pull down ballcarriers when he cannot fully disengage from linemen.
– He flashes the ability to shoot gaps as well, and he is a threat to line up inside on passing downs.
– His closing burst is outstanding, and he routinely finished plays last year. He has range and toughness as a run defender, capable of dropping anchor to set the edge and showing the acceleration to chase down the backside in pursuit.
– Abdullah wins with all-out hustle, second and third effort and will contribute in the NFL.

Cons:

– Unless he’s able to add more weight and strength to his frame (at the risk of losing speed and athleticism), he’ll lose more often than he’ll win if Abdullah gets caught in the phone booth with NFL linemen.
– Doesn’t play with a physical edge. Abdullah too often wants to run around the edge, and he has trouble disengaging when an offensive lineman can get into his frame.
– He could stand to be more violent as a tackler in the run game, as he too often allows backs to run through his arm tackles. Abdullah also has limited experience dropping into coverage.

Summary:

Summary:

In 2021 as a senior Abdullah logged playing time in 13 games and logged a total of 780 snaps for the Cardinals. He also added 42 tackles, 10 assists, and 38 stops. While in coverage Abdullah made 2 pass breakups, no interceptions, and QB rating when targetted of 92.7. As a pass rusher, he tallied 29 total pressures, which included 15 QB hurries, 5 QB hits, and an excellent 9 sacks on the season.

In 2022 as a fifth year senior Abdullah logged playing time in 12 games and logged a total of 703 snaps for the Cardinals. He also added 36 tackles, 15 assists, and 34 stops. While in coverage Abdullah made one pass breakup, 2 interceptions, and an elite QB rating when targetted of 46.8. As a pass rusher, he tallied 52 total pressures, which included 29 QB hurries, 14 QB hits, and an excellent 9 sacks on the season.

Information in this article first appeared on NFL Draft Buzz and is used with permission. Find the latest coverage, analysis, and player rankings for the 2023 NFL Draft at nfldraftbuzz.com

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