Ameer Abdullah to Detroit Lions: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The narrative that the Detroit Lions need a home run-hitting back was officially declared dead when Ameer Abdullah's name spilled out of Chris Spielman's mouth.

Abdullah is the diminutive running back from Nebraska who tortured Big Ten defenses to the tune of 4,438 yards over the past three seasons. Most didn't think he'd last until the 54th pick, and one can only imagine that general manager Martin Mayhew couldn't help himself when Abdullah was still on the board.

Was it the right call? Let's dive in and find out.

Where Does Abdullah Fit?

Reggie Bush was the resident long-ball threat until injuries and a reluctance to make a forward cut caught up to him. Abdullah won't have that problem.

The former Cornhusker has the same type of lateral quickness and burst (42.5" vertical and 130" broad jump, per NFL.com) as Bush with a better north-south compass. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's love of the zone-blocking scheme will take advantage of Abdullah's strengths because he'll wait for the creases to open before exploding through.

And he can contribute in the return game. He averaged 26.1 yards per kick return and 10.1 yards per punt return throughout his college career, adding to his value because the Lions just killed two birds with one stone. 

Lastly, he is a huge upgrade over Bush in the passing game. While the latter was great with the ball in his hands, the multitude of drops mitigated his impact. That won't be an issue for the newest Lion, who hasn't dropped a pass in two years (48 receptions), per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. Plus, he won't be limited to the backfield, according to Jeff Risdon of DetroitLionsDraft.com:

"

Can't argue with the big play dimension Abdullah brings to a backfield that didn't have it. And he can play in slot too

— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) May 2, 2015"

Abdullah will have an immediate impact in his rookie season, but not everything comes up sunshine and touchdowns with this pick.

What Are His Issues?

Unfortunately, the similarities to Bush don't end with freaky athleticism. They both have had their issues holding onto the ball, as Abdullah had 23 fumbles over his four-year career. There's no need to discuss the problems with turnovers, but there could be hope, per one knowledgeable Lions fan:

"

Those who are concerned with Ameer's fumble issue: Check out my chart pic.twitter.com/VUv9ymA3BL

— BeastMode (@BeastFBall) May 2, 2015"

That's a marked improvement over his previous years. If the trend continues in that direction, the value of this pick will increase at least half a letter grade. 

His pass protection is the only other issue of note. At 5'9" and 205 pounds, it's not surprising that Abdullah didn't excel at keeping his quarterback clean. Lombardi must be smart in how he deploys him and not try to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Final Analysis

The quick-hitting grade on Abdullah came in at a B-plus. He will bring a sorely lacking element to an offense that desperately needed to become more explosive.

Now, I'm willing to bump it up to an A-minus. The 23 fumbles were a big deterrent at first, but the fact that he's improved his ball security is a huge relief. Don't look now, but Mayhew may be putting together his best draft yet.

All combine statistics are sourced from NFL.com.

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.