The Green Bay Packers can pass on this years running back class thanks to last year's selection

After starting running back Josh Jacobs carried the load in 2024 with 301 rushing attempts, you might assume that the Green Bay Packers would target this year's deep running back class. However, they picked their guy last year, USC’s MarShawn Lloyd. 

Perhaps you didn’t notice him after a bout with a hamstring and hip injuries limited him early in the season before appendicitis would end his rookie season after just six carries (and one reception). Instead, Emanuel Wilson would take a bulk of the backup snaps, rushing effectively on 103 carries for 502 yards.

But the Packers had high expectations for Lloyd, their third-round pick in 2024. He was going to spell Jacobs and provide a change of pace, acting as the lightning to Jacob’s thunder. Jacobs isn’t new to being a workhorse back, but if head coach Matt LaFleur had it his way, there would have been a more varied rushing attack.

Unfortunately, Lloyd won’t have much experience to draw from going into this second year, but his skill set fits well into the offense. In his final year at USC, he tallied over 1,000 total yards and nine touchdowns next to now-rival quarterback Caleb Williams. It was that production, explosiveness, and twitch that drew Green Bay to him in 2024.

Now, they’re betting on him again. Facing a very talented class of running backs in the 2025, the Packers would be wise to pass on the position, at least  in the first two days. Typically, a player with Lloyd's lack of rookie production wouldn't secure a roster spot, much less playing time. However, he has put in the time and energy to ensure he has a more successful season.

This offseason, he visited the same specialist as teammate Christian Watson did to address hamstring issues, that included a series of tests to determine exactly why it had been so bothersome for an extended period. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara had done something similar, and thus far, both he and Watson had made it past that specific issue.

"The science around it is crazy," Lloyd said to Packers.com writer Wes Hodkiewicz in an article released in January. "(I) already started my plan. I've been working on the things that I need to work on. Madison has some smart people down there. I was able to figure out some things about myself."
Source: Packers.com

Lloyd has done all the right things off the field as well. He didn’t use his injuries as an excuse to collect a check and sit out his rookie year. Instead, he stayed active, attending practice, studied film, and digging into the playbook. That mentality should give the Packers little reason to spend a premium selection on another running back. Instead, they should feel confident in Lloyd, and work towards building a dynamic backfield between him and Jacobs in 2025, and address other needs on the roster in the Draft.