JACKSONVILLE – Defense, defense, defense.
Yasir Abdullah, a linebacker from the University of Louisville, on Saturday was selected by the Jaguars in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft – the No. 136 overall selection. He was the Jaguars' third defensive player in as many selections to start Day 3 of the draft.
Abdullah (6-feet-1, 237 pounds), who played his entire collegiate career at Louisville, registered 23.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss in his college career. He registered 9.5 sacks as a senior and 10 as a junior.
He was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection in 2022 and second-team in 2021. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Abdullah became the second Louisville player selected by the Jaguars in the NFL Draft, the first since safety James Sample (Round 4, 2015).
The Jaguars earlier Saturday selected Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller (Round 4, No. 121 overall) and Oklahoma State defensive end Tyler Lacy (Round 4, No. 130 overall).
The Jaguars also traded the No. 127 overall selection to the New Orleans Saints for the No. 227 overall selection in 2023 and a fourth-round 2024 selection.
The Jaguars on Friday selected Penn State University tight end Brenton Strange with the No. 61 overall selection (Round 2) and Auburn running back Tank Bigsby with the No. 88 overall selection (Round 1). The Jaguars on Thursday selected University of Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison in Round 1 – No 27 overall.
The Jaguars hold seven more selections in the '23 draft:
- No. 160 overall (Round 5)
- No. 185 overall (Round 6)
- No. 202 overall (Round 6)
- No. 208 overall (Round 6)
- No. 226 overall (Round 7)
- No. 227 overall (Round 7)
- No. 240 overall (Round 7)
