NFL Draft: Where are the eligible Louisville Cardinals expected to be selected?

Yasir Abdullah – Senior – Edge/LB – 6’1 – 242 Lbs. Draft Expectation: 4th -5th Round

Unlike the first two, Yasir Abdullah began his career with the Cardinals fresh out of high school, but it took him a few years to start making a name for himself on the field.

In 2021, Abdullah was the first Cardinal since 2015 to record double digit sacks in a season; and in 2022, he built off that strong season with another 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.

But it wasn’t just his ability to get into the backfield that made Abdullah a fan favorite. It was his ability to do almost everything on the field.

Edge rusher? CHECK. Run stopper? CHECK Cover Linebacker? CHECK. Abdullah truly did it all for the Cards over the last two years, and his tape shows that.

And, if the impressive play on the field wasn’t enough, Yasir Abdullah also killed it after the season was over. He started off his impressive offseason at the East-West Shrine Bowl where he made scouts salivate over his play with moves like this.

https://twitter.com/Zay_McCray/status/1620091279068778496

Then he went to the NFL combine and put on possibly an even more impressive display. He had the best broad jump of any linebacker in the class, and he had a top five 40-yard dash. Running below a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash is incredible for Abdullah and his draft stock.

Pro Football Focus has Abdullah listed as their 111th best prospect, but some NFL teams aren’t sure whether Abdullah is best suited as a 3-4 edge rusher or a 4-3 linebacker that plays more off the ball. I expect to see Abdullah drafted no later than the 5th round. But, with his incredible measurables and impressive tape, I could see a team picking him in the 3rd or 4th round.