Lew Nichols III, RB Central Michigan: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Nichols was a three-star recruit from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich. in the class of 2019

Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols III broke onto the national scene in 2021, leading the nation in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. As the Michigan native returns for only his redshirt sophomore season, fans have to wonder why he hasn’t received more coverage. Let’s take a deep dive into Nichols’ game and his 2023 NFL Draft projection.

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Lew Nichols III, RB Central Michigan: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt sophomore running back from Detroit, Mich.

Background: Nichols was a three-star recruit from Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Mich. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 1,119 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,003 for On3.com. Nichols was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, he ran for 1,078 yards and 23 touchdowns on 84 carries. Nichols earned all-state recognition from the Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, and Associated Press as a senior. He was a three-year starter at Cass Technical and won a state championship in 2016.

2021 Production: 13 games, 341 carries, 1,848 yards, 16 touchdowns + 40 receptions, 338 yards, 2 touchdowns

2020 Production: 6 games, 78 carries, 508 yards, 4 touchdowns + 10 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown

2019 Production: 4 games, 19 carries, 89 yards (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2020 MAC Freshman of the Year, 2021 First-Team All-MAC, 2021 MAC Offensive Player of the Year, led the FBS in rushing yards (2021)

Pros: Only three drops this past year on roughly 50 targets, proved he’s capable of carrying an NFL-sized workload, only one fumble in 2021, excellent burst, doesn’t have elite top speed but it’s enough to finish long runs, shows patience as running lanes develop, has the athleticism to come to a complete stop behind the line of scrimmage, bounce to a new gap, and break a big play, sidesteps and cuts past defenders without losing much speed in one-on-one situations, changes pace to lull defenders before revving up again, willing pass blocker

Cons: Little to no experience on special teams, few to no snaps in the slot or at wide receiver, competition level, vanished against Miami (OH) and LSU (2021), doesn’t look like he weighs 220 lbs. (he looks leaner), doesn’t show much of a downfield route tree, breaks fewer tackles with power than you would expect for a back with his listed build, occasionally late to react in pass pro, isn’t an aggressive blocker often throwing a shoulder and getting out of the way, gets caught from behind, not twitchy

Overview: Nichols is unofficially listed at 5'10", 220 lbs. The Michigan native led the FBS in carries, rushing yards, runs of ten yards or more (55), and yards from scrimmage in 2021. He ran for over 100 yards in ten of his 13 appearances with the lone exceptions being against Robert Morris (Central Michigan won 45-0), LSU, and Miami (OH). In the games against the RedHawks and Tigers, Nichols totaled 24 carries for 39 yards and six receptions for 21 yards (no touchdowns). NFL teams will have questions about those performances. Nichols also doesn’t fully play to his listed build as he breaks fewer tackles with power than you would expect for a stout, 220 lb. player. However, he displays excellent burst with a viable top speed that leads to some big plays. Nichols has fairly steady hands as a ball carrier and pass catcher. He’s a very patient and somewhat creative runner who displays the ability to vary his pace and manipulate defenders. Nichols has the lateral agility to bounce around behind the line of scrimmage, redirect without much pause, and execute lateral movements in the open field. He also has decent contact balance.

Overall, Nichols flashes promising burst and agility when it comes to making defenders miss in the open field. Unfortunately, he’s shown some high variation in production when facing defenses with NFL-caliber players. The rising redshirt sophomore projects as a Day 3 pick for now, but his stock will rise if he replicates his breakout 2021 performance.

Role & Scheme Fit: Rotational back with third down receiving potential in a zone or gap offense

Round Projection: Early Fifth to Late Fifth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-21-22