What Scouts Said About Lew Nichols

The Packers selected Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols with pick 235 in the 2023 NFL Draft. Here’s what evaluators said about Nichols in the pre-draft process.

Strengths

Dane Brugler, The Athletic — Fills out his uniform well and built like an NFL back ... patient, coordinated footwork at the line of scrimmage ... able to read, press and make sound decisions on zone runs ... squares his pads and runs with physicality and strength to force his way through narrow holes ... not shy breaking out a stiff-arm ... has the mentality of a workhorse back (averaged 29.3 offensive touches during his 2021 season) ... soft hands to secure throws away from his frame ... led CMU in rushing each of the past three seasons ... his 1,848 rushing yards in 2021 were the second-most in a single-season in school history.

Lance Zerlein, NFL.com — Runs low to the ground and with good contact balance. Fluid downhill change of direction with smooth hips. Adequate jump-cut to move a gap over if needed. Power to create yardage after contact. Can run routes out of the backfield.

Brentley Weissman, Draft Network — Power. Vision. Balance

Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network — Nice-sized interior ball carrier who patiently waits for blocks to develop. Runs with authority and aggressively goes after defenders. Possesses outstanding vision, rushing instincts, and solid short-area quickness.

NFL Draft Buzz — Nichols often thrived in the screen game, transitioning upfield quickly and showing a knack for following his blocks. He has the size and strength to pass protect. Nichols shows exceptional toughness and good balance running between the tackles, and Nichols was excellent when it came to finishing runs. He’s solid in blitz pickup, and he consistently showed the ability to anchor against bigger players. His skills as a runner translate nicely to the next level, and he could emerge as an early down back on a team that uses a zone running scheme. Doesn't possess elite breakaway speed, but is fast enough to gain yardage in chunks when he finds a seam. He’s at his best working in space, showing the quickness and vision of a return specialist. His stop-start ability allows him to create initial separation.

Weaknesses

Dane Brugler, The Athletic — Runs big, but inconsistent pad level makes himself too much of a target for tacklers ... not a sudden ball carrier with limited wiggle in confined spaces ...average acceleration through the hole and doesn’t have breakaway speed ... can run with power or finesse but tends to be inconsistent when choosing which avenue to use ... willing in pass protection, but his technique and execution are below average ... too many focus drops on his tape (five in 2022) ... missed chunks of his final season because of a toe injury (October 2022), sitting out three full games and parts of others.

Lance Zerlein, NFL.com — Below-average burst through the line. Average short-area movement to elude in tight quarters. Lacks perimeter speed to outrun NFL defense to the edge. Catches the football with clapping hands. Very little special teams experience.

Brentley Weissman, Draft Network — Elusiveness. Speed. Pass-catching

Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network — Not a creative ball carrier and gathers himself trying to cut back against the grain. Gets upright in his style and doesn’t run with good lean. Downhill ball carrier who cannot turn the corner. Coming off a disappointing season.

NFL Draft Buzz — A one-speed runner and lacks any explosive qualities with tight hips. Has poor balance and has the bad habit of losing coordination when changing directions - his feet and upper body look to be on two different pages. Nichols has constantly ran a limited route tree. He’s not going to threaten to take the top off of a defense.

Overall

Dane Brugler, The Athletic — A two-year starter at Central Michigan, Nichols was the bell-cow back in offensive coordinator Paul Petrino’s multiple run scheme. He earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 with an FBS-best 2,186 all-purpose yards and 1,848 rushing yards, but his rushing yards per game dropped from 142.2 to only 68.4 in 2022 as he battled injury. With his blend of quickness and power, Nichols can be a tackle breaker and won’t need gaping holes to reach the second level. But he can be methodical at times as he follows his blocks and needs to better anticipate openings before they present themselves. Overall, Nichols is a productive, determined runner with solid feel between the tackles, but his next-level potential will be capped by a lack of creativity with the ball in his hands and inconsistent passing-down skills. His workhorse approach could get him on the field in the right situation.

Lance Zerlein, NFL.com — Early down back with good size and power. Nichols runs with solid vision and the ability to create yardage after contact, but he needs room to gain momentum and doesn’t have the wiggle to create for himself if the blocking falters. He’s smooth in his cuts, but he lacks the suddenness and play speed to stay a step ahead of NFL defenders. Nichols has an outside chance of making an NFL roster.

Brentley Weissman, Draft Network — Nichols is a straight-line athlete who is at his best when he goes north and south. He lacks the lateral agility and fluid hips to change direction and make defenders miss and relies on his blocking and power to turn positive plays. While Nichols routinely hit big plays in college, he displayed just above-average top-end speed and oftentimes was caught from behind down the field. In the passing game, Nichols was very productive as a dump-off and leak-out option where he showed a natural ability to catch the ball and make something happen in the open field. He did not show an ability to run routes or be a true difference-maker on third down. Nichols does show a willingness to pass block and has the size to anchor against the rush, but his angles and hand placement need improvement. Overall, Nichols projects as a top backup who has some starter qualities but his lack of elusiveness, speed, and third-down ability hurt his outlook as a potential future starter. 

Tony Pauline, Pro Football Network — After a tremendous junior campaign in 2021, Nichols watched his production fall off a cliff last season. He offers possibilities as a short-yardage or goal-line ball carrier, but must get his game back on track.

Where Lew Nichols ranked on evaluators’ big boards

Todd McShay, ESPN — 287

Pro Football Focus — 298

NFL Mock Draft Database Consensus Big Board — 384