From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Washington RB Jonah Coleman.
No. 1 Jonah Coleman/RB Washington – 5-9, 220 pounds (Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Jonah Coleman 5-9/220 N/A N/A N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
N/A N/A N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
N/A N/A N/A
THE GOOD
– Exceptional contact balance when running through traffic, breaks tackles consistently
– Despite limited speed, his ability to break tackles does make him a threat as a checkdown out of the backfield
– Seems to always fall forward, rarely blown up by a defender
– Not flashy, but solid production as a pass catcher at Washington
– Shows good football IQ in pass protection, impressive technique as a blocker
– Excellent as a lead blocker
– Keeps feet chopping when tied up by a defender
– Good vision and patience as a runner
– Understands how to use lead blockers and set up defenders
– Footwork is impressive when moving laterally
– No issues with ball security
– Excels in short yardage situations
– Vision, patience, strength and ball security should all translate to NFL level, giving him a high floor
THE BAD
– Lack of top-end speed, won’t be able to break away in the open field
– Can win with patience, but just not much explosiveness in general
– Production was there, but his route tree was very limited at Washington; he doesn’t have much experience running complex routes
– Lower height makes it harder to pick things up beyond the line of scrimmage
– Not quick enough laterally to consistently make defenders miss in the open field
– Lack of athleticism caps overall ceiling, may not develop into lead back
STATS
– Career: 552 attempts, 3,054 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per attempt, 34 touchdowns in 50 games
– Catching the ball, racked up 87 receptions, 838 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 50 games
– 2022: 83 touches, 396 scrimmage yards, four touchdowns
– 2023: 153 touches, 1,154 scrimmage yards, six touchdowns
– 2024: 216 touches, 1,230 scrimmage yards, 10 touchdowns
– 2025: 187 total touches, 1,112 scrimmage yards, 17 total touchdowns
– Led Big Ten in touchdowns in 2025
– Returned four total kickoffs for 83 yards
– 25 games played at Arizona (2022/2023), 25 games played at Washington (2024/2025)
INJURY HISTORY
– 2025: Knee injury suffered against Wisconsin in Week 9, reaggravated injury and sat out Week 10 against Purdue, came back in limited fashion in Week 11 against UCLA
BACKGROUND
– DOB: August 20th, 2003 (22-years old)
– Hometown: Stockton, CA
– Attended Lincoln High School in Stockton, CA
– Three-star prospect out of high school
– Committed to Arizona, spent 2022 and 2023 seasons there
– Transferred to Washington for 2024 and 2025 seasons
– Earned three honors at Washington’s postseason awards banquet, including the 101 Club Academic Award, the Tyree Sports Council Community Service Award, and the Be a P.R.O Award
TAPE BREAKDOWN
If you like fundamentals, Jonah Coleman is your man. He is an extremely detailed running back who won’t make the splashiest plays, yet plays strong, fundamental football.
As a runner, the first thing you notice about Coleman is his impressive contact balance. He’s extremely hard to bring down, and he’ll beat anybody who tries to tackle him without excellent technique.
Just take a look at this run. His offensive line gives him a solid hole to work with, but Coleman is met by a safety at the second level. It’s a decent tackle attempt, but Coleman shrugs him off, stiff arms the next defender, and carries two more into the corner of the end zone. This is the type of intensity Coleman brings every time he touches the ball.
That strength also translates in goal-line scenarios and other short-yardage situations. Coleman led the Big Ten with 17 touchdowns last year, many of them coming near the goal line, like this one.
First of all, Coleman’s strength here is impressive. He’s first met by a defender near the three-yard line, but manages to push the pile into the end zone.
However, another thing to notice here is his patience. In goal-line carries, most packs just pound the line of scrimmage, hoping to push it enough to get in the end zone. Coleman is much more patient. He dances for a second, waits for the hole to open up, and takes advantage when it does.
But while his vision is impressive, Coleman isn’t the greatest athlete ever. Sometimes his lack of explosiveness caps him.
This is a play where you’d like to see Coleman fly through the hole that opens to the left. You could drive a truck through it, and Coleman does find it. But he just doesn’t have the spring in his step to burst through before it closes. A more explosive back might have turned this into a longer gain.
The short-area quickness isn’t there, and the long speed isn’t especially impressive either. Coleman is no stranger to chunk plays, but he doesn’t have home-run speed.
He runs a nice route and does a good job getting open. Then, there’s nothing but turf in front of him. However, you can see how defenders are able to catch up to him here. He still gets a massive chunk of yards, but his speed doesn’t threaten a defense that much.
With that said, it’s not like Coleman isn’t a threat in the open field. Especially in the passing game, his contact balance does help him rack up yards after the catch.
This is where Coleman’s strengths outweigh his weaknesses. He doesn’t have a ton of elusiveness, but his contact balance still allows him to shed defenders and pick up a huge gain. While he isn’t the most athletic back, his strengths do help make up for it.
Finally, one of my favorite things about Coleman is his blocking. Whether it’s pass protection or lead blocking for a teammate, he brings the intensity. Just look at this beautiful lead block to spring his quarterback for a touchdown.
Of course, as a running back, his pass protection is more important than just lead blocking. But that’s an area in which he shows a lot of promise. Watch him read the play, get in position, and effectively pick up a blitzer here.
His pass protection isn’t perfect. Coleman could stand to attack defenders more, rather than trying to catch them as they come to him. But the effort and the strength are there, so it’s something that should improve at the next level.
CONCLUSION
Jonah Coleman does enough things to carve out a role for himself in the league. He runs with excellent patience, understands zone blocking schemes well, and has exceptional contact balance and overall play strength. All of those skills can, and should, translate to the NFL. He’s a high-floor player who I’m certain can play a productive role in an NFL offense.
I’m a little more worried about his overall ceiling. His athleticism caps his overall game a bit, though he makes up for it in other ways. He can pass protect, but he’ll need to offer more in the passing game than just sliding past the line of scrimmage to hold a real role as a pass-catcher. If he can’t add that to his game, it may hurt his chances of being a true lead back in a backfield. His traits remind me of a blend of David Montgomery and Blake Corum.
NFL Projection: Early-Mid Day 2
Steelers Depot Draft Grade: 8.1 (Long-Time Starter)
Grade Range: 7.5-8.6
Games Watched: Michigan (2025), Rutgers (2025), Washington State (2025)
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