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Nicholas Singleton

Nicholas Singleton — RB, Penn State

TEN6'0" · 219 lbs · Age 22
Buzz Score
8.6
Mentions (7d)
4
Sources (7d)
3
Avg ADP
16.1
Mock Appearances
20

Scouting Report

AI Analysis · claude-opus-4-7 · 2026-05-03

Bottom Line

5th-round capital (pick 165) into a backfield headlined by Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears caps a 38th-percentile model RB with a 100th-percentile receiving score and 94th-percentile athleticism — the talent/landing spot mismatch is real. Late-2nd to early-3rd rookie pick, not a target before then.

Team Fit & Opportunity

Tennessee gave Singleton Day 3 capital behind a healthy Pollard/Spears duo, with Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings rounding out the room. Just 55 vacated carries and 55 vacated targets means the runway is shallow — he's the RB3 in a committee absent injury. Cam Ward's rookie-year volatility could push more checkdown work, which fits Singleton's profile, but Spears already owns the passing-down role. Year-1 touches likely cap around 80-100 from scrimmage unless Pollard or Spears misses time.

Talent Profile

The athletic and receiving profile is loud — 219 pounds at 6'0" with 94th-percentile athleticism and a 100th-percentile receiving score is a genuine three-down build. But the 38th-percentile overall model grade reflects pedestrian efficiency at Penn State: 0.55 RYOE/att and 0.01 EXPOE/att are RB2-tier creator numbers despite a 91st-percentile strength of schedule. The 21st-percentile WAA flags he never fully broke out as a true alpha, splitting work with Kaytron Allen. Translation: NFL-caliber tools, college tape that didn't separate.

Strengths

  • Receiving chops at size: 100th-percentile receiving score on a 219-pound frame is a rare combo and the most translatable trait given Tennessee's likely game-script.
  • Athletic ceiling: 94th-percentile athleticism gives him special-teams stickiness and explosive-play upside the Titans' current room lacks.
  • Contact balance: 0.41 BWOE/att suggests he finishes runs, a trait that travels regardless of blocking quality.

Concerns

  • Draft capital ceiling: Pick 165 historically produces sub-10% RB1 hit rates; teams don't force-feed 5th-rounders.
  • Crowded room: Pollard and Spears are both under contract and healthy; Chestnut has carved short-yardage work. The path to 150 touches requires two injuries.
  • Efficiency red flags: 0.01 EXPOE/att and 21st-percentile WAA mean the model sees a complementary back, not a creator.

Historical Comp Read

The Breece Hall comp (88%) is sub-score noise — Hall posted a 93% overall model grade and went round 2; Singleton's 38% and round-5 capital live in a different universe. Najee Harris and Gibbs are similarly cosmetic. The honest comps are Kaleb Johnson and Sean Tucker — athletic Day 3 backs with receiving traits who fought for committee work. That's the realistic outcome band.

Outlook

Year 1 projects as RB55-range best-ball flyer: 6-9 touches per game with occasional PPR spike weeks if Spears misses time. The three-year arc hinges entirely on injury luck ahead of him — Pollard is on a movable contract and Spears has a concussion history, so a 2027 lead-committee role isn't impossible. Ceiling is low-end RB2 by 2028 if he inherits passing-down work; floor is JAG handcuff cut by his second contract.

NFL Combine Metrics

Hand
9.38"
Arm
31"
Burst Score
9.4

College Production

Dominator Rating
42.0%
Breakout Age
20
Yards/Game
64.0
Target Share
7.0%
SeasonGamesRecRec YdsRec TDRush YdsRush TD
20251224219154913
202415413755109912
2023132630827528
20221311851106112

Mock Draft History (20 appearances)

17
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-08-05
ALL · 2026-08-05
17
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-08-04
ALL · 2026-08-04
17
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-08-03
ALL · 2026-08-03
17
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-08-02
ALL · 2026-08-02
17
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-08-01
ALL · 2026-08-01
16
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-07-31
ALL · 2026-07-31
16
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-07-30
ALL · 2026-07-30
16
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-07-29
ALL · 2026-07-29
16
Sleeper Search Rank ADP - 2026-07-28
ALL · 2026-07-28
12
2026 Post-Draft Dynasty Rookie Profiles Recap - Dynasty League Football
SUPERFLEX · 2026-07-28

Recent Mentions

Establish The Run — "...ey   Projected Starting Lineup QB: Cam Ward RB: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Nicholas Singleton WR1: Carnell Tate"
RotoBaller — "...Kaelon Black | RB 6. 20 | Zachariah Branch | WR 6. 21 | Ted Hurst | WR 6. 22 | Nicholas Singleton | RB 6. 23 | Emmett"
RotoBaller — "...17 | Chris Bell | WR 5. 18 | Emmett Johnson | RB 5. 19 | Ted Hurst | WR 5. 20 | Nicholas Singleton | RB 5. 21 | Carso"
FantasyLife — "...ck in that room even with Tyjae Spears in a contract year and a young back like Nicholas Singleton lurking. As a thir"
Stadium Rant — "...kie running backs to draft in 2026 who could generate tons of fantasy value. 3. Nicholas Singleton (Tennessee Titans)"
Dynasty League Football — "...adarian Price Josh Cameron Sam Roush Adam Randall Kevin Coleman Jr Kenyon Sadiq Nicholas Singleton KC Concepcion Eli "
Campus2Canton — "...t the position outside Vernell Brown, Dallas Wilson, and incoming transfer Eric Singleton, and Wilson is coming off a"
FantasyLife — "...e rushing game. Second, the Titans did draft an intriguing late-round rookie in Nicholas Singleton. I fully expect Po"
RotoBaller — "...cMillan | WR 15. 140 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB 16. 141 | Tank Dell | WR 16. 142 | Nicholas Singleton | RB 16. 143 | Woo"
DraftSharks — "...Allen totaled 70 receptions across four years at Penn State. But backfield mate Nicholas Singleton had 102 over that "
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