Ameer Abdullah to Lions: Twitter Reacts as RB Is Selected in 2015 NFL Draft

Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah is considered one of the premier playmakers in this class, and he's found a new home with the Detroit Lions after being selected with the 54th overall pick.

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Lions Select Abdullah 54th Overall

Friday, May 1

The NFL announced that the Lions took Abdullah with the 54th pick.

Sports Illustrated noted Abdullah can help fill the void Reggie Bush left when he went to the 49ers in the offseason:

Scott Bischoff of New Era Scouting weighed in on the pick:

Ralph Vacchiano reported the Lions weren't the only team interested in Abdullah:

A breakout star for each of his last three seasons at Nebraska, Abdullah enters the draft without much question about his collegiate production. He rushed for 4,588 yards and 39 touchdowns during his career, ranking behind only Mike Rozier for most in school history.

But it's Abdullah's all-around skill set that makes him intriguing to NFL teams. An ace returner when given the opportunity, Abdullah finished his career with the second-most all-purpose yards in Big Ten history. He averaged 26.1 yards per kick return and 10.1 yards on punts, which should make him an instant contributor on special teams even if he isn't ready to take the full starter reins as a runner.

Kyle Meinke of Mlive.com noted the team believes Abdullah can fix his fumbling issue:

Questions about Abdullah begin and end with his size. He measured at 5'9" and 205 pounds at the combine in February. Even though there is plenty of anecdotal evidence saying guys Abdullah's size can compete at the NFL level, many teams remain risk averse when it comes to selecting nontraditional talents. 

"Size is something everyone over-sensationalizes," Abdullah told Tom Pelissero of USA Today. "I'm not the big running back. I'll never be 6 feet. But if you look at my height or weight—5-9, 205—that's not tiny. I really do pack a punch. I'm pretty strong in my lower body, and all my weight comes from muscle."

Abdullah is also not lacking for an all-around skill set. He has an ability to make plays with his hands and feet out of the backfield, which is something that should help (somewhat) assuage concerns about his NFL transition.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.