Detroit Lions: The 2015 draft class was a failure
By Max Gerber
In the second round, the Detroit Lions selected running back Ameer Abdullah. The running back out of Nebraska started the season with some optimism, and spent most of his rookie year splitting carries with running back Joique Bell and being used as the team’s kick returner.
Abdullah’s career was quickly derailed due to injuries. In his second year with the Lions, he suffered a foot injury which ended his season after just two games. He lasted a few more seasons in Detroit, but could never find his place on the roster. Ultimately, Abdullah was waived in the middle of the 2018 season and claimed by the Minnesota Vikings.
As a Viking, the former Lion has been used primarily on special teams as a kick returner, and only has one catch for 10 yards on offense.
In the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected cornerback Alex Carter out of Stanford. Carter was placed on injured reserve his rookie year, and did not end up appearing in a game for Detroit until the end of the 2016 season.
After converting to safety in the 2017 offseason, Carter was cut by Detroit and has spent the rest of his career bouncing from practice squad to practice squad. He was promoted to the Washington Redskins’ active roster at the end of the 2018 season.
The Lions traded a 2016 third-round pick to move up and select defensive tackle Gabe Wright in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. Wright only appeared in seven games for Detroit, making six tackles. He was cut by the team after just one season. He has been on several other NFL teams’ rosters before ending up with the Oakland Raiders at the end of the 2018 season.