LINCOLN, Neb. -- It looks increasingly likely that the long national nightmare of running backs not getting selected in the first round is about to go bust with the 2015 NFL Draft.
While most scouts and analysts agree that Georgia's Todd Gurley and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon are the top two players at the position, a third player is angling to be in the discussion, and some believe he's right there at the top.
On Thursday at Nebraska's pro day, former Cornhuskers star Ameer Abdullah decided to throw the rankings out the door, proclaiming he should be the first running back taken in the draft.
"I think I'm the best back in this class. I'm not really worried about anybody else," said Abdullah. "Whoever goes first, goes first. After that, once you hear your name called, it's time to get to work no matter where you get drafted. I'm the best back in the draft, so I'm not too worried about it."
At his pro day, Abdullah appeared to run a faster time in the 40-yard dash than he did at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he was clocked at 4.60. He relayed to reporters that his pro day times were in the 4.4 to 4.5 range at Nebraska's indoor facility in front of scouts from roughly 27 teams.
NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock ranks Abdullah as the third-best back in the 2015 class, so he's not too far down the list of available runners for teams. He also has the advantage over Gurley and Gordon by being a quality pass-catcher out of the backfield.
It still seems like Abdullah's height, 5-foot-9, might hold him back a little in his quest to become the first running back taken in the 2015 draft, but his solid pro day might start changing some teams' minds about him.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
