INDIANAPOLIS — While Jeremiyah Love was busy lighting up the stopwatch with a 4.36 40-yard dash this week, Washington’s Jonah Coleman was doing what he does best: letting the tape do the talking. In a draft class obsessed with speed, the Huskies’ 220-pound battering ram offers something arguably more valuable for an NFL contender a guarantee.
After a Super Bowl where a running back took home MVP honors, the league is finally remembering that durability and contact balance win championships. Coleman isn’t the guy who wins the track meet; he’s the guy who finishes the fight.
The “Dump Truck” That Dont Quit
Jonah Coleman is built like a vending machine and runs like it’s rolling downhill. Standing 5’8″ and packing 220 pounds of dense muscle, he brings a low center of gravity that makes him a nightmare to tackle solo. His 2025 campaign 15 TDs and 758 yards on 156 carries might look like a step back from his 1,000-yard season in 2024, but the context matters. He battled through a grueling Big Ten schedule and still found the end zone 15 times, proving he’s the ultimate red-zone weapon.
The tape reveals a player with elite patience. He doesn’t just crash into the line; he waits for the crease, then explodes. While he lacks the “twitchy” lateral moves of a guy like Love, his subtle side-step in the open field causes defenders to take poor angles, allowing him to bounce off contact and fall forward for an extra three yards every time.
“You’re not gonna play if you can’t pass pro. It’s simple. Can’t play if you ain’t gonna protect the quarterback. I’m paying him $100 million, you’re getting paid $2M. Who’s more important? And that’s part of being selfless, part of the game.”
— Jonah Coleman, at the NFL Combine
The Concern: Is the Gas Tank Empty?
Scouts aren’t blind to the red flags. Coleman’s explosive plays vanished halfway through the 2025 season. After ripping off six runs of 15+ yards in the first two weeks against Colorado State and UC Davis, he managed just five more the rest of the year. The question is simple: was it a nagging injury, or did he hit his athletic ceiling?
He didn’t run the 40-yard dash in Indy, likely knowing his time wouldn’t turn heads. In a league that craves home-run hitters, Coleman is a doubles machine. That limits his draft ceiling to Day 2, but for a team like the Kansas City Chiefs or New Orleans Saints looking for a grinder to pair with an explosive back, he fits the bill perfectly.
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
Expect Coleman to slide into the late second or third round. He isn’t being drafted to be the face of a franchise immediately; he’s being drafted to be the “closer.” With running back committees now the standard, Coleman projects as the perfect “thunder” to a speedster’s “lightning.” If he lands in a spot like Minnesota or Washington, he could easily vulture 10 touchdowns as a rookie.