The New York Giants certainly seem want to lean even more heavily into the running game in 2026. They signed fullback Patrick Ricard and are giving 340-pound Evan Neal a chance to win the right guard spot.
However, if there’s one thing their backfield is missing, it’s a true power back. And Washington’s Jonah Coleman may just fit that bill.
Weighing in at 5-foot-8, 220 pounds, Coleman is built like a bowling ball and runs with about as much subtlety. He isn’t a big-play threat, but is also hard to bring down quickly or cleanly, constantly finding yards after contact and turning stopped runs into successful ones.
The Giants’ backfield is pretty full at the moment, but is there room for a player like Coleman?
Prospect: Jonah Coleman (1)
Games Watched: vs. Ohio State (2025), vs. Michigan (2025), vs. Oregon (2025)
Red Flags: Sprained PCL (November, 2025)
Measurables
Strengths
Best traits
- Leverage
- Play strength
- Contact balance
- Cutbacks
- Competitive toughness
- Receiving
Jonah Coleman is a compact, powerful, and surprisingly slippery running back prospect.
Coleman has a dense physique at 5-foot-8 ¾ inches, 220 pounds, and plays every bit like the bowling ball his proportions would suggest. He runs low to the ground, aided by his height and natural leverage, maximizing the power provided by his thick lower body. He also has great contact balance, which combines with his height to make him very difficult for defenders to bring down cleanly.
Coleman is skilled at making subtle alterations to his path to turn would-be tackles into glancing blows, then pinballing off for yards after contact. He’s able to keep his feet when running through contact around the line of scrimmage. He runs with a good forward lean and is able to consistently finish his runs falling forward for yards after contact.
He has good vision around the line of scrimmage and is a very patient runner behind the line. Coleman does a great job of being slow to the hole, allowing his blocks to mature before jetting through them. He also does a good job of identifying cutback lanes, and uses a quick jump-cut to exploit them if his initial path is defended.
Coleman has the upside to be a true “three down” back at the NFL level and is already a capable receiver. He wasn’t asked to run a diverse route tree in Washington’s offense, however he executed the routes he was asked to run well. Coleman does a good job of finding space as a check-down option, presenting a good target for his quarterback, and quickly securing the catch before turning upfield.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Long speed
- Pass protection
Coleman’s greatest weakness is an overall lack of athleticism. He isn’t a poor athlete, per se, however he also isn’t a great one. He lacks much explosiveness after his initial burst and twitch, and also has a limited top speed.
And while his stature gives him natural leverage and helps to maximize his play strength, his overall field vision is a bit limited. He quickly identifies cutback lanes and anticipates defenders at the first level, however his anticipation and vision are worse when he has to look further down the field.
Finally, Coleman has very short arms, which impact both his pass catching and his pass protection. Coleman has a very limited catch radius, which puts greater onus on the quarterback to put the ball on the mark. Likewise, he needs to be consistently aggressive in stepping up to take on defenders as a pass protector. Coleman’s lack of length means that he can struggle to lock in his blocks when he isn’t the one aggressively initiating contact.
Game Tape
(Coleman is the Washington running back wearing number 1.)
Projection
Jonah Coleman projects as a rotational back in an active backfield. He’s slightly limited by his pass protection right now, and nobody will confuse him with a home run threat. However, he has the upside to be a consistent producer who simply churns out yards.
Coleman’s height, power, contact balance, and short-area twitch make him very tough to bring down quickly, and he has a knack for turning hits around the line of scrimmage into 4 or 5-yard gains. He also has upside for teams that make heavy use of their backs as receiving options, and could be a real headache for defenses on any play designed to get him the ball in space. He’s much denser and more powerful than most defensive backs and even some off-ball linebackers, which could make him a sneaky-dangerous back in
Coleman should be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick, and could be a tremendous value if he starts to fall on draft day.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes, value permitting
Final Word: A late Day 2, or early Day 3 selection
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