Ameer Abdullah Post-Senior Bowl Scouting Report
Dec 27, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Ameer Abdullah (8) runs in for a touchdown as USC Trojans safety John Plattenburg (24) defends during the third quarter in the 2014 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Bottom Line
When you have two 2,000-yard rushers plus Todd Gurley in your draft class, it’s tough to get the hype. But winning Senior Bowl MVP was just the hype he needs to push his draft stock up. That was one day where there was no Gurley and Melvin Gordon and the NFL looked just at him to see how he could fit their respective teams.
Abdullah is a do-it-all type of back that won’t have to come of the field on third downs in the NFL. He could possibly be among the league’s leaders in yards from scrimmage like Rice was. If he were to just get himself up to around 205-208 like Rice, that’s the kind of player I could see him being.
Draft analyst Mike Mayock compares him to Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovanni Bernard. And ironically, many made comparisons with Bernard to Rice when Bernard was coming out. Mayock was describing what all three have in common when he told NFL.com Abdullah has “great quickness and change of direction and possesses the toughness to run in between the tackles.”