NFL Draft picks 2015: Ameer Abdullah taken by Lions

With the No. 54 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected running back Ameer Abdullah of Nebraska. One of the top running backs in this year’s draft, Abdullah was incredibly productive in his career at Nebraska, putting up over 1,600 yards in his final season and 4,588 yards overall.

Abdullah is a decisive runner, who looks like a starting running back when he has the ball in his hands. There are some concerns with his ability to carry the load as a bell-cow type of running back given his lack of size, but the 5’9, 205-pounder doesn’t run like a player who needs to avoid contact to keep himself in one piece.

Abdullah had a decent showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.60 seconds and putting up 24 reps on the bench press. The agility drills were where he excelled the most, however, topping his position group in several different categories. He ran the 3-cone drill in 6.79 seconds and the 20-yard shuttle in 3.95 seconds, while also managing a 42.5-inch vertical leap and a 130.0-inch broad jump.

Even though there will always be talk about his size, he’s not quite as small as some other rushers who have drawn those labels -- guys like Darren Sproles and Andre Ellington. Abdullah has more muscle than those players and also has great vision with the ball in his hands, making him a likely starter at the next level.