Nicholas Singleton Scouting Report

Nicholas Singleton is a physically gifted running back with a unique blend of size, athleticism, and explosiveness, giving him the potential to be a top-tier NFL running back.

Draft Grade: Round 2 - Winning Starter

Strengths:

Vision: Singleton has excellent vision, allowing him to identify and set up run lanes effectively and creatively make explosive plays.

Lateral Agility/Athleticism: Singleton can string together multiple lateral moves to evade defenders, using jump cuts, spin moves, and even hurdling defenders to gain yards.

Speed: Singleton possesses both quick acceleration and top-end speed, enabling him to separate from defenders and create explosive plays in the open field.

Pass Catching: Singleton is a capable pass-catcher with experience lining up in multiple alignments, including a slot receiver role, and shows natural hands and route-running ability.

Concerns:

Contact Balance: Singleton generally maintains balance to gain extra yards, but there are moments where defenders can trip him up, causing him to lose balance and miss opportunities.

Running Physically: Singleton often relies on his athleticism to evade defenders rather than lowering his pads and running through contact. While he is an elite athlete, using more power and physicality could help him consistently gain tough yards when needed.

Nicholas Singleton Summary/Projection:

Nicholas Singleton is a senior running back prospect whose collegiate career began with an immediate impact, rushing for over 1,000 yards as a freshman. Entering the 2025 season, Singleton is widely regarded as one of the most skilled and physically gifted running backs in the 2026 NFL Draft class. He is an all-purpose back capable of contributing both in the running and passing game, with the potential to be a true RB1 at the next level. Singleton combines elite vision, lateral agility, and a sturdy frame to run through tackles, making him a dangerous weapon out of the backfield.

Singleton is versatile within any scheme and excels in both zone and power-run concepts. From the handoff, he reads the line of scrimmage, recognizing defenders and identifying potential access points into the backfield. His vision allows him to find creases and exploit them creatively, manipulating second-level defenders by pressing a gap before cutting back into open space. Singleton’s lateral agility is elite; his feet stay in sync with his eyes, allowing him to navigate to and through the holes his vision identifies. He accelerates quickly through the line and into the second level, where he can either make defenders miss with jump cuts or spin moves or lower his pads to run through arm tackles. In the open field, he uses his speed and agility to outrun defenders and finish runs effectively, demonstrating the ability to combine elusiveness with physicality. This combination makes him a difficult tackle in space and a consistent threat to create explosive plays. When needed, Singleton can also be a physical runner, setting the tone in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

In the passing game, Singleton is equally versatile. He excels on traditional running back routes such as swings, wheels, and angles, showing natural hands and the ability to create separation. He can also line up in the slot and run quick game routes, effectively serving as a multi-dimensional threat. This dual-threat ability in the passing game elevates him from a traditional back to an all-purpose offensive weapon.

Singleton’s primary area for improvement is consistency in finishing runs with power. Despite being listed at over 220 pounds with a thick lower base, he sometimes relies too heavily on evasion rather than lowering his pads and running through defenders. Developing this aspect of his game would allow him to consistently pick up tough yardage and maximize his physical tools.