The Green Bay Packers’ backfield will look slightly different when Week 1 of the regular season kicks off in September.
For starters, the Packers won’t have Emanuel Wilson, who served as a steady RB2 behind Josh Jacobs over the last two seasons. Wilson took his talents to the Pacific Northwest, joining the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, for a possible larger role.
Without Wilson in the fold, MarShawn Lloyd seems to be next up to back up Josh Jacobs over Chris Brooks, who was re-signed to a two-year deal. However, that’s a lot of faith for the Pack to put in Lloyd, who has been hampered by injuries over his first two years in the NFL. The former third-round has only played 10 offensive snaps, so to expect him to step into Wilson’s shoes is a pipe dream.
There are two ways that Green Bay can solve this looming RB2 issue.
The Packers could sign a veteran free agent to compete with the young running back, as there are still some solid options left. Or Green Bay can go towards the draft route, as they have multiple Day 3 picks in the next month’s NFL draft.
Between the two routes, it would be in the Packers’ best interest to look to the draft to find some competition — or even an outright replacement — for Lloyd this offseason.
MarShawn Lloyd Needs Packers to Add Rookie RB for Competition
Looking at the current crop of free agent running backs, there are some intriguing options for the Packers as we previously discussed. Najee Harris, Michael Carter II, and Brian Robinson would be considered upgrades over Lloyd on a sliding scale.
However, the Packers should be thinking younger for their RB2 role. With Jacobs being 28 and set to become a free agent after the 2027 season, Green Bay needs to start thinking about the future, and Lloyd might be part of that.
This year’s RB draft class isn’t as star-studded as years past, but that shouldn’t stop Green Bay from taking a flier on a rookie on Day 3. Draft prospects such as Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr., Washington's Jonah Coleman, or Penn State's Nicholas Singleton could be perfect competition for Lloyd.
Washington put on a show at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, where he ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds. Last season at Arkansas, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry and even proved that he could be a weapon in the passing game with 28 receptions for 226 yards and a touchdown.
He also has some special teams experience, where he returned four kicks at New Mexico State.
Singleton is another running back who possesses speed and the versatility to be used on the ground and in the passing game. He could also be utilized on special teams and stay on the field for third downs due to his pass protection skills.
With that in mind, those are just two of several rookie running backs who could give Lloyd a run for his money this upcoming season. It will be interesting to see if Green Bay does anything else between now and the draft, such as signing another free-agent RB or visiting with more prospects.
Lloyd might have all the potential in the world, but it doesn't matter if he doesn't put it on display. Drafting a hungry rookie running back is the perfect solution to lighting a fire underneath Lloyd before it's too late, leaving time to tell if the Packers will take that path next month.