Jay Ajayi to Dolphins: Twitter Reacts as RB Is Selected in 2015 NFL Draft

Boise State’s Jay Ajayi is considered one of the better mid-tier running back prospects in the 2015 NFL draft class. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller rated him as the seventh-best running back and someone who can make an impact as a rookie and potentially earn a future starting role. Ajayi was not selected in the first two days of the NFL draft but was finally selected by the Miami Dolphins in Round 5.

Continue for updates on Ajayi’s draft status.

---

Jay Ajayi Selected by Miami Dolphins at No. 149 Overall

Saturday, May 2

The Dolphins announced their selection:

Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel quickly weighed in with his thoughts on the pick:

ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted how Ajayi's selection was essentially a steal for an organization that needed to build depth at the running back position:

Ajayi may not be mentioned in the same breath as Melvin Gordon or Todd Gurley as a prospect, but he racked up NFL-caliber numbers in his final season at Boise State. He finished with 1,823 rushing yards, 535 receiving yards and 32 total touchdowns and became the only player in FBS history with 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a single season.

Boise State quickly released a statement following the announcement:

At 6’0” and 221 pounds, Ajayi is a battering ram in the hole who picks up yards after contact and bulldozes his way through arm tackles. That ability alone will help him contribute at the goal line as a rookie.

Ajayi also possesses a second gear in the speed department and has enough moves to make defenders miss in space. Ajayi is also a legitimate threat in the passing game and will make life difficult for opposing defenses on third downs.

Interestingly, Ajayi’s first love was soccer (he wanted to play for the Nigerian national team at one point), and he discussed how that helped his football career, per Louis Bien of SB Nation:

"

I definitely think how good my feet are for being a bigger guy, and how good of agility I have, I think that comes from my soccer background. Just how much footwork is used in the game of soccer -- how much running, how much cutting is used in the game of soccer -- I think that that definitely helped shape me growing up when I began to play football and I would play soccer at the same time. Transitioning over to football, I would use some of those moves as a running back. And it just definitely helped me grow as a football player and build those quick feet and that skill set that I'm able to use in the game.

"

He will earn playing time as a rookie because of that skill set.