Jonah Coleman Embraces Sleeper Status

Todd McShay name-dropped him on this show. Now Jonah Coleman is sitting in the chair. The Washington running back has watched his draft stock climb despite an injury that kept him out of the combine, and he is leaning hard on a phrase he has clearly said a thousand times in interviews.

Control the controllables.

Coleman could not test at the combine. He did his pro day but did not run the full battery. What he could do was present himself well in interviews. He says the feedback from his agent and from teams has been strong. Teams want to know about his health. His answer is consistent. He is good to go. Ready to go. The best ability is availability.

He has had visits with the Broncos and the Vikings, plus a quick one with the Seahawks. The Denver trip stood out. Sean Payton was in good spirits. The coaching staff showed him love. The culture inside the building felt real. Coleman calls it the highlight of his draft process.

The origin story tracks with a lot of running backs. Coleman started out playing receiver in youth football. A friend showed up late to a game. Coach told Jonah to slide to running back for the day. He took a handoff wearing number 81 and never went back to the perimeter. Stockton, California. 58 high school touchdowns, give or take a number.

His comparison is Josh Jacobs. Great feet. Short-area quickness. Physical runner between the tackles. Reliable in pass protection. Soft hands out of the backfield. Coleman studied Jacobs from Alabama to Oakland to Vegas and modeled his game after it. Growing up, he watched Marshawn Lynch and LaDainian Tomlinson. Beast Mode and LT. Hard to pick a better two-pack.

Rich asks the closing question every back has to answer before draft night. What does a team get when they call your name? Coleman's answer leans on culture and locker room. He calls himself a big culture guy. He talks about bettering what a team has already built, or fitting right in with what a team is trying to become. He says it always comes down to the guys in the locker room when a team is chasing a Super Bowl.

Then he gets to the football. He would not be here if he did not play the game well. Upside teammate. Hard worker. Willing to do whatever helps a team get to a Super Bowl and win it.

He is not the name at the top of the running back board. He is fine with that. Sleepers only stay sleepers until draft day.