Packers 2023 Draft Review: RB Lew Nichols
By Paul Bretl
With their second of four seventh-round selections, the Green Bay Packers took Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols. As part of my draft review, here is a closer look at that pick.
In this series, I have been going reviewing the Packers’ 2023 draft picks, taking an in-depth look at each player’s measurables, their key college stats that you should know about, along with their fit in Green Bay. I also have draft day quotes from Brian Gutekunst and other members of the organization, and a pre-draft scouting report to provide further analysis.
If you’ve missed any of the previous reviews, you can find them below.
Lew Nichols, RB, Central Michigan
Measurements
5’10” | 222 | RAS: N/A
As you can see from Nichols’ height and weight measurements, he’s a powerful running back, bringing size to the position. Nichols dealt with a hamstring injury for much of the offseason that limited his participation in the pre-draft process, which is why he did not register an official Relative Athletic Score. To get an idea of where he would stand in that regard, however, if we use the unofficial numbers from his April 10th workout provided by Draft Scout, Nichols’ RAS would have been 7.91, which included a 4.61 second 40 time and 37-inch vertical.
Stats to know
Over four seasons at Central Michigan, Nichols compiled 583 rush attempts, with over 500 of them coming in the last two seasons. In 2021, he led the NCAA in rushing, totaling 1,707 yards at 5.5 yards per carry with 15 touchdowns. His production would dip this past season, in part, because of missed time due to injury. But also ,Central Michigan would lose two of their offensive linemen to the NFL, along with their simply being more focus on Nichols after his breakout season in 2021. Nichols would average just 3.5 yards per attempt and score only six times. Along with carrying the ball, Nichols was active in the passing game, catching 68 of his 88 career targets at 7.6 yards per catch. Just about all of his pass catching opportunities came out of the backfield. As we all know, an important element of playing running back in the Matt LaFleur offense is being able to block, and Nichols has experience in that regard. Noted in a recent article by SI’s Bill Huber, Nichols had the second-most pass-blocking snaps of any drafted running back from this year’s class. It’s also important to note that Nichols has minimal special teams experience.
Fit with Packers
In terms of what the Packers look for at the running back position, Nichols checks those boxes as a productive ball carrier, along with being an experienced pass-catcher and pass-blocker. However, with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon taking the majority of the offensive snaps, Nichols path to making the 53-man roster this fall is going to most likely come through impacting the special teams unit and his ability to hold up as a blocker. Although Tyler Goodson brought more playmaking to the running back position in 2022 than Patrick Taylor, it was Taylor who spent most of the season on the 53-man roster because he was more capable in those aforementioned areas. This isn’t to say that Nichols’ ability to make plays on offense won’t matter, but it given the makeup of the running back room, it probably isn’t going to be the deciding factor either.
Nichols said it
"“You add in my stature and my playing style, I’m a big, physical back, 220 pounds,” said Nichols following the draft via Madison.com.” So, me and the cold weather actually get along. Once it gets colder, guys start not wrapping up and start making business decisions. So I definitely feel good running in the cold.”"
Pre-draft scouting report
"“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.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com"