College coach thinks the Packers landed a sleeper late in the 2023 NFL Draft
The Green Bay Packers left the 2023 NFL Draft with enough players to fill a quarter of an NFL roster. Green Bay made 13 selections in this year's draft, which includes four selections that were made in the seventh round. Seventh-round draft picks have an uphill battle to make an NFL roster, but one college […]
The Green Bay Packers left the 2023 NFL Draft with enough players to fill a quarter of an NFL roster.
Green Bay made 13 selections in this year's draft, which includes four selections that were made in the seventh round.
Seventh-round draft picks have an uphill battle to make an NFL roster, but one college coach thinks the Packers may have landed a sleeper this year in the seventh round.
ESPN asked various college football coaches this week about their thoughts on the 2023 NFL Draft.
An anonymous MAC coach was asked to name a sleeper to watch and he went with Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols III, the No. 235 overall selection in the draft.
"He (Nichols) had the production and he has the build," said the MAC coach to ESPN. "He looks like an NFL back. He's not as athletic, but he looks like (Dallas Cowboys running back) Tony Pollard. They're built the same way."
Nichols, 5-foot-11/222 lbs, certainly has the build to excel in the NFL. He also has a nice history of production at Central Michigan.
The Michigan native battled through injuries last season, which limited him to just 601 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. Nichols, however, showed in 2021 that he can produce at an elite level. In 2021, Nichols rushed for 1,848 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also caught 40 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns.
Nichols likely fell to the seventh round due to his injury-plagued 2022 season and his lack of elite top-end speed. The former three-star recruit may not end up being a Pro Bowl-caliber running back for the Packers, but he has a chance to make an impact due to his prototypical running back size and versatility. Nichols is known for being solid in pass protection to go along with his receiving skills and ability to run between the tackles.
If Nichols just becomes a third-down back in the NFL, it would still be an incredibly successful seventh-round selection by the Packers.
