Running back prospects to watch at the Senior Bowl ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft: A pair of teammates and an SEC sleeper
Three RBs that could turn heads at the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and as a result raise their draft stock ahead of the NFL Draft.
The Super Bowl matchup is now set with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks officially crowned conference champions. The other 30 teams are already in offseason mode, which, of course, means the most wonderful time of year: draft season.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be here before you know it, and one of the big milestones of the process has already arrived. The players have already reported to the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and they take the field for their first practice on Tuesday.
Here at A to Z Sports, we are giving you some players to watch this week who we believe will turn heads. This piece will focus on the running backs in attendance, many of whom are ready to show the NFL what they can do.
Nick Singleton, Penn State
Penn State’s Nick Singleton had a ton of buzz ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. Some even thought he would hear his name called in the second round, but he elected to go back to school for another year with a college football National Championship on his mind.
Things didn’t go to plan for Penn State or Singleton, though. His 549 rushing yards were the lowest of his career. He did, on the other hand, set a new career high with 13 touchdowns.
Singleton’s impressive size at 6-0, 221 pounds makes him an intriguing prospect for multiple teams looking for an RB. He split carries at Penn State but has the makings of becoming a bell cow at the NFL level. His first chance to try and recoup his draft stock to where it was last cycle is this week at the Senior Bowl.
Kaytron Allen, Penn State
Singleton’s Penn State partner in crime, Kaytron Allen, will also be at the Senior Bowl. Allen has a lot of juice and rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back years with 1,303 in 2025 and 15 touchdowns.
He was clearly the better RB this year than Singleton, and now they will compete to see who can be the better pro. Both have the goods to make it in the NFL but who should be the first selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, that is still undecided.
Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
The first two RBs in this article are proven commotioes with solid buzz ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The third isn’t as high-key regarded just yet, but the Senior Bowl could change that.
Mike Washington Jr. is the most underrated RB going into the week of practice. He has excellent size at 6-2, 223 pounds, and doesn’t move as those numbers would suggest.
His strength and speed combined give him an exciting ceiling. He could put on a show this week in Mobile, and if he does, he could quickly move his way into the top five RBs in this class, if not higher.
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