An in-Depth Look at Detroit Lions' Most Intriguing Selection, Ameer Abdullah

Ameer Abdullah is not Reggie Bush. And the Detroit Lions should be thankful.

General manager Martin Mayhew tabbed the Nebraska product in the second round (54th overall) because he lost his former starting running back. Naturally, this led to comparisons to the now-49er, and it's legitimate from a role perspective, but these two are distinctly different players.

We all remember Bush for what he was—a quick player with too many east-west tendencies. He could make four guys miss and take the corner for 60 yards, but he too often would pick up dramatically more laterally than vertically.

So who is Ameer Abdullah?

Abdullah, the Strong Scat Back

The misconception that Abdullah and Bush are the same player come from their "burstability." Yes, I'm making up words. 'Tis the season.

Bush's combine numbers are elusive at best. We know he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash, registered a 40.5 vertical and broad-jumped 128" at his pro day, per NFLDraftScout.com. Let's see how those numbers stack up to Abdullah:

Event	Result	RB Rank
40-Yard Dash	4.6	12
Vertical	42.5	1
Broad Jump	130	1
3-Cone Drill	6.79	1
20-Yard Shuttle	3.95	1
60-Yard Shuttle	11.18	3

While Bush proved he has better in-line speed in shorts, the two are extremely comparable in every other category. And of even more importance, Abdullah's short-area burst easily ranks at the top of the class. His eye-popping vertical along with his times in the three-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle prove that fact.

Abdullah's internal compass, however, is his biggest advantage over Bush. Whereas the latter can cut himself out of a play, the former is much more focused on making a cut and getting upfield, often incorporating forward momentum into his move. Also, if the cut isn't there, Abdullah will use his leg strength to take the fight to the tackler in an attempt to run through him.

And lest you think his 40 time is indicative of his playing speed, here's a highlight that should alleviate those concerns (play starts 29 seconds in). Pay close attention to how quickly he gets to top speed and starts sprinting by people.

Lastly, Abdullah was extremely prolific throughout the last three years of his career. He racked up 5,171 total yards from scrimmage with 43 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and 9.4 per reception.

He won't just limit the above to the backfield, because he's a capable return man too. While he returned kicks on at least a part-time basis throughout his career, his freshman year saw him post a 29.3-yard average on 26 kick returns, with one going to the house.

Perhaps you think I'm being too cheerful here, that I have entirely too sunny of a perspective on Detroit's second-rounder. For that, I rebut you with Exhibit A, an excerpt from Todd McShay's article on his favorite picks for each team:

"

Abdullah was one of my favorite prospects in this entire draft. I don't know exactly how Detroit plans to use him, but he has the chance to be very productive. He plays much bigger than his size and is elite in terms of his ability to get in and out of creases, as he makes defenders miss and accelerates off his cuts. He is also outstanding in terms of his football character and intangibles.

"

McShay and I make two with Matt Miller throwing some weight behind us in the embedded Team Stream video. Additionally, Bryan Fischer of NFL.com calls him "a steal" while Doug Farrar of SI.com says he's "a great fit."

The Fumbling Issue

Then why wasn't Abdullah a first-round prospect? Well, aside from the whole nobody-really-knows-anything-when-it-comes-to-the-draft concept, it probably has a lot to do with his fumbling past and smaller stature.

Abdullah had 23 total fumbles (16 lost) over his four-year career, per CBS Sports. However, 14 of those came in his first two seasons. That number dropped to nine in his junior and senior seasons combined, despite an increased workload that saw his touches balloon to 593 touches over that time.

This problem seems to be more of the molehill variety when the proper context is provided. 

Plus, the Lions don't seem too concerned by it. When Kyle Meinke of Mlive.com asked Mayhew about the issue, he had this to say:

"

You might want to check some of the other backs and see how many fumbles they had. ... He only had (two). He has worked really hard on that. He has improved on that every single year. That is something he will continue to work on and keep getting better.

"

Some want to blame his short stature (5'9") and hands (8.625"), but the real culprit was probably knowledge. He only switched over to running back two years before he arrived in Lincoln. And as he learned how to play the position, the smaller things seemingly fell into place.

The one area he must improve upon at the next level is his pass protection. Abdullah's small size surely plays a role in this deficiency, so he'll need to be that much more technically sound. It would also help if offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi didn't rely on this part of his game often, especially considering he's such a dangerous receiver.

Good Guys Get Drafted in the Second

To round things out on a brighter note, Abdullah strikes the same chord that resonates throughout Detroit's latest draft class.

He's a good guy.

Abdullah comes from a strong family that raised nine brothers and sisters, him being the youngest. All nine of them have college degrees.

Those strong roots gave him the stability (as well as the motivation) to become a workout warrior at Nebraska. Abdullah was named "Lifter of the Year" for the Nebraska football team in both 2012 and 2013, per the school's website. Two other notable winners were former Lions, fullback Cory Schlesinger and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, and everyone remembers how renowned the latter was for his work ethic.

Finally, he was a team captain and Academic All-American. He shouldn't have too much trouble fitting into a Jim Caldwell-led locker room. If you're a Lions fan, there was plenty to be happy about during this past draft, and Abdullah may be the cream of a highly regarded crop.

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.