Is Ameer Abdullah still the Detroit Lions most talented runner?

Despite adding two quality running backs in the offseason, is veteran Ameer Abdullah still the most talented runner of the bunch?

Since drafting Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions have given him every opportunity to become the next great runner in franchise history.

After posting a solid rookie year, in which he recorded 597 rushing yards and two touchdowns as a nine-game starter, Abdullah’s promising sophomore campaign was cut tragically short due to a season-ending foot injury he suffered in Week Two.

The following season, Detroit opted to place the onus of their running game hopes on Abdullah’s shoulders despite the fact he was coming back from a dreaded Lisfranc injury.

Unfortunately, Abdullah struggled mightily in year three. Averaging a lowly 3.3 yards per carry, he was essentially benched at the end of the season. And the Lions fielded the worst running game in the NFL for the second time in three years.

This offseason, the Lions went about revamping their disappointing rushing attack. They signed veteran running back LeGarrette Blount coming off his third Super Bowl victory in four years. Detroit also traded up in the 2018 NFL Draft to grab Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson in the second-round.

Combined with the selection of Arkansas center Frank Ragnow in the first round, Detroit should field a much-improved running game behind a talented offensive line.

With players like Blount and Johnson now on the roster, how could Abdullah still be considered the Lions’ most talented running back at this point? Well, that’s exactly what NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal seems to believe.

"“Most analysts believe Abdullah will be the odd man out. That’s probably how the Lions envision the position shaking out, too, but Blount’s career has been too uneven and Johnson is too unproven to assume anything. This is a group that screams committee, and Abdullah might still be the most talented runner.”"

Lions’ general manager Bob Quinn is a big fan of Abdullah. And he certainly hasn’t given up on him as a part of the team’s future. It is believed that both Blount and Johnson are currently above Abdullah on the depth chart. But no one outside the organization knows for sure.

In fact, Abdullah seems likely to make a bigger impact as a dynamic special teams returner. That something he couldn’t do as the starting running back.

Ameer Abdullah’s days as a running back in Detroit are not over. Even with talented runners like LeGarrette Blount, Kerryon Johnson and Theo Riddick on the depth chart, Abdullah could still see some offensive snaps. But based on his past performance, I don’t think he’s the most talented running back on the Detroit Lions’ roster anymore.