RADIO
The Detroit Lions are well aware that Joique Bell is towards the tail end of his career, and sought to improve their running back stable by selecting Ameer Abdullah with the 54th overall pick. He should be a mainstay in the Detroit offense for years to come.
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Joique Bell is still going to be a factor in Detroit, and will probably start the 2015 season as the primary ball-carrier. Abdullah will slide into the role vacated by Reggie Bush, aiding in the passing game and spelling Bell periodically. He has all of the tools you could want from a third-down back—agility, burst, lower-body drive, and outstanding hands. His football character and IQ has been described as “off the charts”, meaning the learning curve will be minimal, allowing him to make an immediate impact. Abdullah has surprising power for a back of his size (5’9”, 205 lbs.), and consistently breaks tackles and finishes runs. Take a look at this long run against Iowa from the 2014 college season:
He showcases all of his talents in one play--finding a gap, cutting hard to find a new one, busting through a tackle and then changing directions to extend the play. He's incredibly unpredictable as a runner, and that skill is amplified in the open field. If defenders don't get a hand on him early, he's as slippery as an eel.
Abdullah should be a fantasy asset right away (particularly in PPR leagues), but his long-term value is somewhat undetermined. His diminutive size leaves a lot to be desired from a pass protection standpoint, and he’s about as big as he’s going to get. That size is a much more glaring issue in the NFL, where he can be manhandled by even mid-size linebackers and defensive ends. He also had significant issues with ball security during his collegiate career, fumbling 13 times over four years. While that's something that can be worked on, I don't see him overcoming this flaw over the summer. These traits make it unlikely that he’ll ever be considered a feature back.
With that being said, he’ll still have significant fantasy value in 2015 and beyond. He should adopt a Shane Vereen-like role, doing a majority of his damage in the passing game but still seeing a few carries every game. This will of course mean his value will be much greater in PPR formats, where I’ve seen him go as high as round five in early mock drafts. Until we see exactly how he’ll be used I would never risk a pick that high on him, but he should be a useful asset in keeper and dynasty formats for the foreseeable future.
In rookie drafts, I think Abdullah should be the third running back off the board behind Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon. I personally prefer to take wide receivers as rookies just because the average lifespan of an NFL running back is so short, but if you're dead-set on a running back Abdullah is a terrific option.
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