The Green Bay Packers selected running back MarShawn Lloyd in the third round of the NFL Draft late last month, and many lauded the pick, calling Lloyd a sleeper.
The Packers already signed Josh Jacobs in free agency and also brought back AJ Dillon, so Lloyd may end up having a limited role during his rookie campaign.
Or maybe he will end up surprising people.
Emory Hunt of CBS Sports provided some interesting thoughts on Lloyd, saying that the halfback is clearly the Packers’ “type” given how much Lloyd reminds him of now-former Green Bay star Aaron Jones.
Jones spent the first seven years of his career with the Packers between 2017 and 2023 before being released by the club earlier this offseason following the addition of Jacobs.
The UTEP product was a very pleasant surprise in Green Bay, registering three 1,000-yard campaigns and making the Pro Bowl in 2020 after racking up 1,104 yards and nine touchdowns.
What made Jones so effective, though, was his efficiency, as he averaged five yards per carry throughout his tenure with the Packers. He posted 5.5 yards per carry three times.
Injuries limited Jones to 11 games in 2023, and during his time on the field, he rushed for 656 yards and a couple of scores while logging 4.6 yards per attempt. He particularly came on toward the end of the year, where he rattled off five straight 100-yard outings between the final three regular-season contests and Green Bay’s two playoff games.
Jones signed with the Minnesota Vikings after being cut by the Packers.
Meanwhile, Lloyd is coming off of a 2023 campaign at USC in which he recorded 820 yards and nine touchdowns while posting a robust 7.1 yards per tote.
Lloyd began his collegiate career at South Carolina back in 2020. His best season with the Gamecocks came in 2022, when he tallied 573 yards and nine scores on the ground, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He transferred to USC the following season.
Given Jacobs’ checkered injury history and taking into consideration how much Dillon struggled last season, it stands to reason that Lloyd could have a rather prominent role in 2024.
The Packers ranked a very average 15th in the NFL in rushing offense this past year, so they will surely be looking to improve their ground game heading into next season.
We’ll see how much Green Bay chooses to utilize Lloyd come September.
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