Washington Redskins Draft Countdown: Making the Case for Ameer Abdullah

I'll confess, I usually hate when teams draft to a strength. It just seems like one of those too-smart-for-your-own-good things hipster personnel people do.

So it's unusual to be so much in favor of the Washington Redskins adding a running back in one of the first three rounds of the 2015 NFL draft. Adding one with the sixth pick in Round 2, to be exact.

That's precisely where the Redskins should waste no time taking Ameer Abdullah off the board.

The former Nebraska ace is the versatile speedster Washington's backfield needs. He's also the change-of-pace complement bruising workhorse Alfred Morris deserves.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Now, several of you are probably thinking, or screaming at whatever device you're reading this on, we have bigger needs than running back in the first three rounds! Well, yes and no.

Obviously this team still needs a bruiser or two for the offensive line. A talented edge-rusher would also complete a makeover of the defensive front seven, while a couple of cover men would be welcome.

But there's still one thing missing when you look at the skill positions (leave quarterback out for a moment. That's a whole other story). Look a little closer.

Yes, the Redskins boast Morris, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher. They also feature two roving playmakers at the tight end position, in the form of Niles Paul and Jordan Reed.

Meanwhile, few teams in the NFL can claim to possess a stable of wide receivers as gifted as DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Andre Roberts. Then there's fullback Darrel Young, a major talent at his position, but sadly used too seldom.

What's missing? All those who raised a hand and said a true third-down back, congratulations. You got it in one.

There's no dual-threat back with game-breaking skills as both a ball-carrier and a pass-catcher.

Roy Helu Jr. offered those skills before he was allowed to bolt to the Oakland Raiders. But as useful as 2011's fourth-round pick was, he was no game-breaker.

Neither is 2014 rookie free agent Silas Redd. He's a promising inside runner with some potential as a receiver, but ultimately looks a steady option at best.

Perhaps half-sized hare Chris Thompson could be the lightning in the bottle Washington's sub-package offense needs? Sadly, that question won't be answered unless Thompson proves he can take his lumps at the pro level and still stay healthy.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

He may be getting the "first crack" at the job, according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post, but Thompson has appeared in just six games in two seasons.

Head coach Jay Gruden apparently knows he needs another marquee running back, per ESPN's John Keim:

"

It's very deep running back draft in my opinion, and we're excited to add another piece at some point, hopefully. We have seven picks. Hopefully one of them will be a running back, or a free agent to compete. There are some good free agents that haven't been signed yet.

"

What Gruden and Washington's ground game really need is a back with genuine speed to complement Morris' brute force, as well as the hands and move skills to be the receiving threat 2012's sixth-rounder isn't.

Gruden knows the value of such a weapon. He used a similar one well as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013, when he turned Cheetah-fast rookie Giovani Bernard loose.

Bernard worked in tandem with methodical pounder BenJarvus Green-Ellis, offering the dichotomy of styles every pro rushing attack should possess. He's also a player Abdullah compares to, at least on some levels, according to B/R draft analyst Matt Miller:

Abdullah would bring the ability to stretch the field to D.C. He'd offer a true big-play threat every time he touches the ball, no matter in what capacity.

Let's focus first on what Abdullah the runner would offer. Nebraska's 42-24 win over Rutgers last October, a game in which Abdullah amassed 225 yards on 19 carries, provides an excellent study sample.

One thing you'll immediately notice is that Abdullah is very much a slashing style of runner. He shifts quickly, making cuts in motion and slanting his way through holes.

Looking at some individual plays; his 3rd-and-1 conversion at 1:24 makes for impressive viewing.

Notice how decisive he was picking his spot, followed by how forcefully he slammed through the gap. This was a hard-nosed run from a relatively physically slight back, who's lack of elite size concerns some, including NFL.com draft pundit Lance Zierlein.

But Abdullah has shown good traits for short-yardage running. CBS Sports' Dane Brugler and Bradon Thorn described a few: "Much tougher than he looks and lowers his pads at the point of attack."

Now, Abdullah may not be tasked with goal-line carries for the Redskins. But as a third-down back, he would be expected to convert some 3rd-and-1 to 3rd-and-4 situations, running out of single-back, multiple-receiver sets that spread defenses out.

Next, the 5'9", 205-pounder showed what really recommends him to Washington. At 1:30 he ran a counter sweep and utilized his speed and moves to turn a solid run into a game-breaking scoring play:

The jump cut and juke move to make the safety snatch air was a thing of beauty. So was the sudden acceleration to separate from the pack and show pursuing defenders his heels.

It's moves and an extra gear or two like those that separate the big-play ball-carriers from the solid grinders. The real bonus for a blocking scheme is that with a runner this dynamic, there's no need to account for the extra man in the box. Just get Abdullah through the line and trust him to beat the safety.

For the final look at Abdullah the runner, consider this superb play beginning at 2:06:

Recognize the run? You should. It's the same zone-style, stretch play Washington has been running since 2010.

Notice how smoothly Abdullah executed the one-cut-and-go move that's the staple of every successful outside zone run. Then there was that explosive finishing speed again.

The Redskins may be shifting to a ground attack based more on power principles following the arrival of offensive line whisperer Bill Callahan. But it'd be foolish to abandon every zone concept in the playbook.

With Abdullah lugging the rock, Washington could stretch defenses laterally, creating soft middles for Morris to exploit inside. Morris' sledgehammer style would also wear down defenders whose bruised bodies would then struggle to reach Abdullah on the perimeter.

The Redskins have needed this kind of speed in their backfield for too long.

They've also been missing a true receiving threat out of the backfield for long enough. Fortunately, Abdullah has the hands and flexibility to offer exactly that.

He caught a pair of passes for 26 yards against Rutgers, per CFBStats.com. Both plays demonstrated how valuable he can be to a quarterback and what matchup problems he can create for defenses.

On the first play, a 3rd-and-3 starting at 3:34, Abdullah aligned in the slot on the right side of the formation:

He used quick feet and another juke move to send his covering defender the wrong way and get free over the middle. Once he caught the ball, Abdullah's speed and tenacity added up to yards after the catch, a necessity for any competent receiver.

He repeated these tricks on a 3rd-and-5 at 4:34. Again, Abdullah was flexed into the right-side slot:

What was impressive here, was how quickly he sat down in the space between two covering defenders. That's a sign of good zone recognition, of knowing where the voids in coverage are.

Another pleasing point of interest was the way Abdullah snatched a contested ball and completed the catch in traffic. Again, that's a positive for a back many see as perhaps too slight for the rough and tumble of the pros.

Both of these catches converted third downs with the minimum of fuss. It was stealing yards for an offense.

Think about how easy the read was for the quarterback. With a backfield receiver he knows can make quick work of beating underneath coverage, the man under center has a natural checkdown whenever he needs it.

Put Robert Griffin III in for these two plays. He often takes an age to make his reads but wouldn't need to here. It would be as simple as scanning to see if Jackson has broken open deep. He hasn't, so just check it down over the middle to your fleet-footed running back in space.

If Washington wants Griffin to make more reads and quicker throws, he needs the targets to make those things possible. Adding a pass-catching back would be a great start.

Yet Abdullah the receiver wouldn't just be limited to short-range work. Just like his rushing skills, Abdullah's flair for the big play extends to his pass-catching.

Take a look at this short hook route turned into a scoring scamper lasting over half the field for proof:

Writing this, and correct me if I'm wrong, it's tough to remember the last time the Redskins featured a running back with this kind of big-play potential as a receiver.

Searching the recesses of the memory, the names I recall go as far back as Joe Washington and Kelvin Bryant. Not even return ace Brian Mitchell was a regular feature of the offense, while Ricky Ervins' value was more as a change-of-pace runner in 1991.

Scott Stewart/Associated Press

Abdullah offers the best of both worlds for the Burgundy and Gold. He's a potential home run hitter however and whenever you get him the ball.

He'd add flexibility to the running game, via the speed to complement Morris' power. As a roving weapon in the passing game, he'd be a mismatch X-factor on football's money down.

Those benefits are surely worth overlooking the size and ball security issues detailed in this NFL Network video, via the league's YouTube channel:

B/R draft guru Matt Miller thinks Abdullah's smart running draws comparisons to Tre Mason, who topped 760 rushing yards and caught 16 passes for the St. Louis Rams as a rookie in 2014:

But Abdullah's ceiling is higher. He looks like a change-of-pace wild card, but has the temperament of a workhorse. B/R lead writer Mike Tanier recently detailed Abdullah's work ethic and commitment to football.

His combination with Morris would give Washington a devastating one-two punch out of the backfield. The duo would again make the running game the focal point of the offense, a necessity considering the quagmire at quarterback.

The second round isn't too high for the Redskins to take another running back. In fact, given what he would offer at every level of the offense, Abdullah would be a steal for the NFC East club even at that stage.