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Pass Blocking
Abdullah is very strong in many aspects of his game, but he is visibly lacking in pass protection. His size doesn’t do him any favors, and he can get manhandled when he tries to square up against defenders. This is very worrying to me because size is something you can’t teach, and there’s only so much you can do when you’re 50 to 100 pounds lighter than the guys you’re trying to block. His cut blocking also needs work. He can do it, as you can see in the last two gifs against USC (which was the last game of his college career) but really successful cut blocks were few and far between for Abdullah. Most of the time he only succeeded in slightly altering the course of his defender. That will need to improve at the NFL level.
Small Frame
It’s kind of difficult to show on tape in my opinion, but Abdullah’s small frame also hurts him when he tries to run between the tackles. He just doesn’t have the size to overcome some of the defenders he has to face, and can get manhandled fairly easily. He really struggled against better competition in his senior year (just 45 yards on 24 carries against Michigan State and 88 yards on 27 carries against USC), and inability to run between the tackles was a big part of that. Now, his offensive line also struggled in those games, but defenders in the NFL certainly aren’t going to be easier to run on. For this reason, I feel that Abdullah’s lack of size may be limiting to him at the next level.
Ball security
Abdullah struggled mightily with taking care of the football throughout his career. He fumbled 13 times in his four years, which is far too many. This is definitely cause for concern and something any team that drafts him will need to work on fixing.
Ameer Abdullah, in my mind, might be the most polished back available in the draft. He has great vision, great open field quickness, and great tenacity. He’s an accomplished pass catcher, although he does struggle a bit in pass protection. By all accounts he is an incredibly hard worker and is also has great character off the field. However, he’s held back by his lack of size (and, to a lesser extent, top end speed). I’m afraid he might struggle to run between the tackles at the NFL level. Fortunately, Abdullah also possesses traits that could counteract his lack of size. He has great vision, and is good at fitting though small creases.
One place I have no doubt Abdullah will succeed in the NFL is on the perimeter. Whether it’s catching dumpoffs, screen passes, or running stretch plays, he will get to the outside and make people miss. He can also line up in the slot as a WR, which could make him a valuable versatile player. While his lack of size might prevent him from being an every down back because he might not perform well in short-yardage and pass blocking situations, I firmly believe he will become a strong contributor at the NFL level.
Pro Comparison and Draft Projection
Pro Comparison:
I think a good comparison for Abdullah is a healthy Ahmad Bradshaw, with a better jump cut and a bit more explosiveness. Both are a bit undersized, but both are very good as one cut runners, useful in both the passing and run game, and have strong vision. If he can’t fit in well as a runner between the tackles, he might end up more like a Giovanni Bernard or Andre Ellington (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Both of those players had stellar rookie years in 2013, but showcased limitations in their game last season mainly because they lacked the size to consistently run between the tackles.
Draft Projection: I expect him to be taken in the early second round.
