Packers hosting Northwestern RB Evan Hull on official pre-draft visit
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers will reportedly be hosting Northwestern running back Evan Hull later this week, according to Darren Wolfson. Each NFL team is allotted 30 official pre-draft visits.
Hull measures in at 5’10” and weighs 209 pounds. He posted an elite Relative Athletic Score of 9.18 out of 10, which included a “great” speed grade with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash and a “great” composite explosion grade with a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10’03” broad jump.
Hull very much fits what the Packers look for at the running back position with his versatility. As a ball carrier, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2021 at 5.1 yards per carry. This past season, Hull totaled 914 rushing yards at 4.2 yards per attempt and ranked 27th out of all running backs in missed tackles forced. He also had 12 total touchdowns between the two seasons.
In addition to what Hull brings as a running back, he was also a very accomplished pass-catcher at Northwestern as well. In 2022, Hull was targeted 66 times and averaged 9.9 yards per catch, while his 536 receiving yards were the most in college football at the running back position.
He also has experience lining up both in the slot and out wide–another important aspect to playing running back for Matt LaFleur. However, for what it’s worth, Hull did not grade out well at all as a pass-blocker by PFF’s metrics.
For a closer look at Hull’s game, here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft report:
"“Compact, muscular runner with below-average explosiveness but decent downhill power. Hull’s lack of suddenness and foot quickness to quickly get in and out of cuts allows defenders to track him down. He needs to play with as much downhill movement as possible, so he will need a quality offensive line in front of him to succeed. He’s a very capable route-runner and pass-catcher but he needs to improve in pass protection for consideration as a third-down option. Hull might need the perfect team fit to stick around on a roster long-term.”"
With Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, it’s not as if the Packers are hurting at running back for 2023. Even if they spent a draft pick on the position, it would be Jones and Dillon who shoulder the bulk of the workload.
However, the draft is about planning ahead, and if we look beyond 2023, there becomes quite a bit of uncertainty at running back. As of now, Dillon will be an unrestricted free agent next offseason, and we do not know what the future holds for him. Jones, meanwhile, could end up as a salary cap casualty in favor of some cap savings. LaFleur has also discussed previously the value of having a third running back on the roster to lean on.
Hull is projected to be a Day 3 pick, where the Packers should have a number of viable options at the running back position. Both Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com have talked about the depth of this running back class at that stage of the draft.
Here are the other reported visits that the Packers either have already had or will be having:
Lew Nichols (RB)
Darnell Washington (TE)
Keion White (Edge)
Will McDonald (Edge)
Jammie Robinson (S)
Jordan Howden (S)
Hendon Hooker (QB)
Dontayvion Wicks (WR),
Sean Clifford (QB)
Marte Mapu (S/LB)
Keaton Mitchell (RB)
Darnell Wright (OT)